Dream of Mirror 2 Corners of Reality
by TIBryant
Summary: There are infinite realities and infinite versions of you in each one of them. I never thought we'd meet again. Yaoi MelloNear AU
1. Free to explore

**Dream if Mirror 2**

**Corners of Reality**

**Ice-Puppet**

**Prologue**

"Hello, Linda."

"Near! Its been a while. How have you been."

"I am alright. How is Linda?"

"I'm doing well. A bit sad now that Matt is gone, but I keep myself busy."

"And how is Piper?"

"She is well. She says hello."

"Tell her hello for me."

"Will do."

"So, how are things over in-"

"White one?"

Turning away from the dimensional mirror in front of him, the adult male acknowledged the person who had spoken to him from the doorway with a small nod. "Hello, Raito."

The man in the doorway wore a worried face. "Hello, white one."

"The weather is looking quite dreary today?" the white one hummed as if it were a question, taking a glance out the window. The sound of rain could be heard in the pause that followed.

"You love the rain, sir," Raito corrected.

"So I do," the white one seemed satisfied with the answer and turned back to the man in his doorway. "What news does Raito have for me?"

"The King is on his way," Raito informed, bowing his head a bit. "It seems his castle was under attack."

"Coming to ask me to join him in the war again…?" The white one hummed to himself, lifting a hand up and curling a lock of hair around one thin finger. "No, that cannot be it. He already knows my answer so he would not ask a third time. Something else must have happened…" He contemplated to himself for a few moments before turning back to Raito. "I thank Raito for the news. Please prepare him a room."

"Right away, white one," Raito agreed with a bow before he was off again.

"What was that about the weather?" Linda's voice asked from the crystal ball-like dimensional mirror. "Since when do you care about the weather, Near."

Near tugged on the lock of hair he was curling around his finger. "It was a test. I can no longer distinguish between reality and my delusions, so I always test whoever I speak to."

--

If there was one thing Matt hated about working for Mello it was the midnight runs for chocolate ice cream. Sure, Mello wasn't supposed to show his face around- but Matt _highly _doubted that any enemies were going to be looking for a blonde kid with a scar buying seven tubs of double chocolate fudge chunk ice cream. And if they were then Mello was already screwed, sending Matt in his place wasn't going to stop anything.

The damn brat was just lazy!

Not to mention in a constant state of PMS…

The lady at the store probably thought he had a pregnant wife with a midnight craving because she gave him this real sympathetic smile, the kind a lady gives you when she thinks she knows how you feel. Which was why Matt got an insane amount of joy when he smiled back and told her, "My boyfriend is hungry."

Her horrified look was almost priceless.

The streets were pretty much empty and barely lit. Matt always preferred taking back roads, especially in crowded cities- less traffic, less people, and less hassle. Later he would admit that this was an insanely good thing, especially tonight of all nights.

Why? Well, it had a little something to do with the flash of light right before him that caused him to slam on his breaks and the body of the person he just barely collided with.

(Call him crazy, but he could have sworn that the person had just _appeared _in that flash of light.)

"Holy shit!" Forgetting the ice-cream and Mello's raging temper, Matt threw the door open and stumbled to the front of his car, hoping he hadn't run anyone over.

The sight he found was one that shocked him, but not because it was a dead body or anything. No, this was much, _much _worse.

"Near!?"

**Chapter 1; Free to explore**

Matt was panicking and Linda could tell. Matt could tell that Linda could tell, then again it wasn't exactly hard to tell he was panicking considering he was repeating the words, "I'm panicking, Linda!" over and over.

"Calm down, Matt!" She said for about the three hundredth time. "Look, everything will be fine, okay? I doubt it's really him."

"There's no doubts that it's him!" Matt snapped.

"You know what I mean," she groaned. "I know its him, but I doubt its _him_."

"But what if it is!?"

"You already told me his hair is odd and his clothes are all wrong."

"But he's been in another dimension this whole time, maybe he changed his clothes and grew out his hair!"

"Look, Matt- I'm a girl and I know how fast hair can grow. There is no way Near's hair went from how long you said it was to how long you say it is now. This isn't the same Near, okay? Besides, there are infinite realities out there and _infinite _versions of Near. The chances that you just so happened to run over the same one that Mello is head over heals for is… well, one in _infinity_."

"Knowing my luck," Matt breathed, glancing over at the person asleep in his bed. "It's him."

"Hey Matt, you better have got my fucking ice cream!"

"Shit!" Matt cursed, falling out of his desk chair. "Linda, I have to go. Sleeping beauty has just awoken and he's cranky!"

He hung up the phone and bolted for his bed, grabbing the blankets and covering up the sleeping young man before standing in front of him. Thankfully, Near was tiny enough that in the dark room you couldn't tell he was there.

Mello didn't bother to knock on the door as he entered the room, hair pulled away from his face and chocolate bar hanging between his lips.

"What are you hiding?" He asked right away.

"Hiding?" Matt questioned, trying to play it cool. "What makes you think I'm hiding anything?"

"I didn't," Mello admitted. "But now I know you are. Are you smoking in your room again you jackass?"

"Nope," Matt responded, holding up his hands to show they were empty.

Mello gave him a long, cold look, before he finally said, "I'm going to find out sooner or later so just spill it before I kick your skinny little ass."

"Your ass is twice as skinny as mine!" Matt retorted.

"And it can still send your ass to China and back."

Before Matt could argue any longer and try to get Mello away from his bed, a groan interrupted the two of them, echoing through the room with silence following it.

"You brought someone _home_?" Mello hissed.

"Er-" Matt tried, knowing he was dead meat. Of all the rules that Mello had, that was the _one _that Matt had never tried to break. Not only because this was 'L's secret base', but because the two of them had come to a mutual agreement that they had no idea where they stood when it came to their 'relationship.'

"_Matt_-" Mello hissed, approaching the bed.

"Wait-" It was no use, though- Matt couldn't stop him. Mello got to the bed and pulled back the covers, revealing the sleeping man.

Then he stared. And stared. And continued staring.

"What the shit?" He finally said.

"I can explain," Matt tried, holding up his hands and forcing a 'please don't kill me' smile.

"You brought home an albino hooker?" Mello asked.

Matt stared at him.

Near decided that moment to finally force his eyes open. He lifted a hand and rubbed at them before blinking a few times and staring up at Mello.

"Mihael?" He asked, voice timid.

"Oh _fuck _no," Mello growled. Matt just barely managed to pounce him before he jumped on top of the newly awoken man and strangled him to death. "You told him my _name_, Matt!? What the _fuck_! You better explain before I kill you _both _and blame it on some random pedestrian!"

"Okay, okay!" Matt screeched, noting how Near cowered away from the both of them in complete shock (and fear). "I'll explain, okay!? Just calm down!"

Mello took a deep breath and stopped struggling, although he didn't release the glare he was holding steadily in Near's direction.

"Okay, so, uh…" Matt had no idea where to begin. Groaning, he flopped down on the bed next to Near, who scurried away from him. Linda was right- this was definitely _not _the same person. "This… is going to sound really fucked up and there is no way you're going to believe me, but it's the truth, so hear me out.

"You've probably heard of theories of different realities and shit, different universes or plains or whatever you want to call them. Well that theory is actually true. There are infinite realities in existence and each of these realities has a mirrored reality- which is what you see when you look in the mirror. And-"

"What does any of this have to do with you brining a hooker home?" Mello interrupted, annoyed.

"Shut up!" Matt snapped. "He's not a hooker! What I'm trying to say is that this kid is from a different reality all together! He popped out of nowhere and landed in front of my car, I almost _killed _him! Well, not that he could die- you can't die in a world other then your own- but _still_."

Mello was quiet for a few moments before he burst into laughter. "This kids from a different reality? Ha! That's funny. Seriously, Matt- if you wanna pick up a hooker, take them to a hotel."

"He's not a hooker!" Matt protested. "Ugh, you're so stubborn!"

Shaking his head, Mello looked at Near. "How much is he paying you? I'll pay you triple if you get lost and if you ever mention this place I will have your head."

Near stared at him, frightened.

"Is this a whore or a mouse?" Mello asked.

"Stop calling him a whore!" Matt snapped.

"Prostitute, working boy, whatever you want to call him. Just get him out of here."

"_Mello_-"

"_Now_, Matt."

Matt reached out and grabbed hold of the blonde's wrists, stopping him in his attempt to leave. "I'll _prove _it," he hissed, standing. "If you don't believe me, then I'll prove it."

Mello raised an eyebrow. "You're sure going a long way to cover this up. Dude, just give up, okay? I don't care- just get him out of here and don't do it aga-"

He stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. Matt lifted his hand and smirked, before closing his palm into a fist, cutting off the flame that he had held.

Mello grabbed his hand and pulled it open, looking for the lighter he was absolutely sure Matt was holding. But there was no lighter.

"What the shit?" Mello breathed. "How did you-"

"Believe me now?" Matt asked.

"No," Mello informed.

Matt smacked him upside the head. "Don't be so blind! Look at what is in front of you!" He snapped his fingers and summoned a flame once more.

"You sound like a Jedi master," Mello muttered.

Matt smacked him with his other hand.

"Um…" They both stopped, turning toward Near. "Where… am I?"

"Uh," Matt glanced toward Mello, before shaking the fire off his hand and heading toward Near with his hands up, showing he meant no harm. "My name is Matt and this is Mello. You're uh… you're in a different reality."

Near stared at him.

Matt stared back. "What?"

Near stared some more.

Matt frowned. "Don't tell me you don't believe me either."

Near smiled sadly. "No, I know what Matt is saying is the truth."

This was definitely not the same Near… that sad smile, the emotion in his voice. That, on top of the fact that he was wearing purple and his hair was long, almost to his waist- this was a Near from a different dimension.

Well, damn.

"See?" Matt asked Mello. "He believes me."

"He also just got hit by your car," Mello pointed out.

"Good point."

Near cleared his throat, catching their attention again. "I don't mean to be rude, but… how can I get home?"

"Home?" Matt repeated, biting his bottom lip. "Uh, well… that one might be a bit of a problem. You see… its not exactly easy to travel between realities. We'd need a jumper- hey, wait a moment, how exactly did you get here in the first place?!"

Near frowned and glanced away. "I don't want to talk about it."

Mello crossed his arms over his chest. "Can we stop talking like insane people? Look, kid- just give us your address and we'll take you home."

"My name isn't kid," Near informed. "Its Next."

"_Next_?" Matt asked.

"Next," Next confirmed.

Matt stared. "Your name isn't… Near?"

Next stared. "No. My name is Next."

Mello gave Matt a strange look.

"What?" Matt asked. "He looks like someone I know named Near."

"You know someone named Near?" Mello asked.

"Yeah," Matt confirmed.

"How is it I don't know this person?" Mello asked.

Matt shrugged, before turning back to Near- er, Next. "Anyway- getting you back home would be really hard… I might be able to do it but I can't promise anything."

"Thank you," Next answered with a low bow. Mello and Matt both glanced toward each other in confusion.

"I still don't believe this," Mello informed, crossing his arms over his chest. "He's obviously just a hooker you brought home and all this shit is made up. But fine, I'm willing to indulge your fantasies just to see how far you're willing to take this. How do you propose we get this… 'Next' back to his 'home reality'?"

Deciding to ignore Mello's attitude, Matt hummed. "Well, first we need to talk to Linda."

"Linda!?" Mello exclaimed. "What does Linda have to do with anything."

"Well," Matt began. "She's the only mirror king that I know. She also happens to know a jumper personally."

"Mirror king?" Mello repeated. "Jumper?"

"A mirror king is someone with especially strong abilities," Matt began to explain as he pulled out his cell. "There are ten in each reality. They hold the realities together." He paused and looked Mello up and down, as if to see if anything he said had a reaction. "A jumper is someone who can freely roam through realities. They are extremely rare, there are only about ten in each reality."

"Ten mirror kings?" Next asked. "In my world there is only one mirror king… the white one"

Matt froze. He then dropped his head into his hands and groaned. "Of all of the people, of all of the realities… why did it have to be him?" He shook his head and looked back at Mello and Next, ignoring the odd looks they were sending his way. "Alright, fine. I'll do everything to take you home and I would also like to meet this mirror king of yours."

"If you can," Next nodded. "He stays locked up in his castle all day and doesn't let anyone in to see him."

"Understandable," Matt muttered.

"Sounds like a loser," Mello commented.

"You say that now…" Matt trailed off, before dialing Linda's number and holding the phone to his ear.

--

Both men bowed their heads respectfully to one another as the guards and servants around them bowed lowly. After both stood tall once more the guards and servants stood as well, but did not lift their eyes to meet either men.

"Welcome," the first King said, motioning for his guest to sit as he lowered to the floor, choosing to sit before his throne as apposed to upon it. "What brings his majesty here at this time? I heard about his majesty's castle, I do hope all of his majesty's people are unharmed."

"Thank you," the second King replied, taking a seat in a chair at the bottom of the stairs. He was obviously irritated and very unhappy. "Yes, someone dealt a great blow into the very heart of my castle… and I believe it was you."

The younger of the two lifted his head from a stack of cards he was building into a miniature building in front of him. "What would put such an idea in his majesty's head?"

The elder man's green eyes narrowed dangerously. "The types of magic displayed, white one, were ones that only someone with a Mirror King's ability could manage."

Lifting one card to his face and resting it against his chin in thought, the younger man hummed. "I see where his majesty's theories come from. However his majesty is incorrect… the magic displayed at the castle was not one only a mirror king could master."

The other King stared at him in surprise. "You know what happened?"

Smiling, the mirror king placed the card on top of his castle, before reaching to the bottom and pulling out one of the cards there, watching the entire thing fall. "His majesty forgets that I have the abilities of day and night."

"So you can tell me what happened!? Where he is!?"

"What happened, yes. Where he is, I cannot tell his majesty."

"Why not?!"

"Because I do not know."

Groaning, the king dropped his head into his hands.

Near began building up the card castle once more. "However," he continued, waiting for the other to lift his head before finishing. "I do know someone that might be able to find Next for you, Mihael."

--

"Linda lives in a fucking pink house."

Matt gave Mello an annoyed look, one that promised pain and death very soon. Mello ignored it, however, reaching across the redhead to grab hold of Next's shoulder and shake the albino wildly.

"M' awake," Next muttered, turning his back to Mello in an attempt to go back to sleep.

"We're here, cream puff. Wake up," the blonde ordered.

"I heard," The albino mumbled, reaching up to rub at his tired eyes. "And I do not think that a house, no matter what color it might be, has the ability to fuck."

Mello's glare rivaled the one that Matt sent his way. "You're a smart ass."

"My ass does not have a separate IQ from my brain," Next responded.

"Will you two shut up!?" Matt screeched, throwing both doors open and shoving the men out their respected sides. "We've been on a plane for four hours, in air ports for six and in this car for an extra two and you two have been bickering like children the _entire way_!"

"I was asleep for an hour of that," Next pointed out.

"You're not very polite for a whore," Mello breathed.

"I do not remember whores ever being thought of as polite," Next hummed.

"SHUT UP," Matt screamed. He paid the taxi driver and grabbed hold of both Mello and Next before storming up to the front door of the lonely pink house, situated in the middle of what seemed like nowhere.

"I still don't get why we didn't bring our shit," Mello complained as he was dragged. "Not to mention how Linda is going to help us find a whore's home, considering said whore came from the city we were in, not a city four hours away. Ohh, that's right, I forgot- he's from a 'different univerce'! Yeah, and how is Linda going to help with _that_? Oh, wait, she's _not _because there's no such _thing_."

"Shut up, Mello," Matt groaned.

"Next you're going to tell me-" Mello began only to be cut off.

"I'm not going to tell you anything," Next said.

"Stop doing that!" The blonde yelled. "And you should really think about changing your name! You know, something _other _then a word used in the English language constantly? _Anyway_, next you're going to tell me that Linda is a physic who can predict my future and-"

Before he could finish what he was saying the door popped open, just as Matt was raising his hand to knock.

Mello stared.

The little girl in the doorway crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not physic, I could just hear you screaming. Your voice is incredibly loud."

Glaring, Mello crossed his arms and huffed, "Who is the brat? I thought we were coming to see Linda."

"You are coming to see me," a gentle voice spoke from behind the little girl. A young woman with light brown hair took a step out, dressed in a long skirt and a brightly colored short-sleeved shirt. She had a kind face and wore a gentle smile. "Nice to see you again, Mello."

"Wish I could say the same, Linda," Mello muttered.

"Hello, Matt," Linda greeted with a nod.

"Linda," Matt responded, before giving the girl a quick nod in greeting as well.

"And you," Linda smiled at Next, who stared at her in confusion. "I have met you before, although it was a different you. It's a pleasure to meet you, however. Next, correct?"

"Yes." Next confirmed.

"This is my daughter, Piper," Linda informed, motioning to the little girl.

"But you can call me Obi," Piper stated with a smile.


	2. Doppelganger

Chapter 2 – Doppelganger

Chapter 2 – Doppelganger

"Obi is a weird nickname," Mello informed.

"Mello is a weird nickname too," Piper responded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How do you know it's a nickname?" The blonde snapped.

"Because I'm a physic," Piper retorted before sticking out her tongue. Mello returned the gesture only to have Linda roll her eyes.

"Stop acting like a six year old," she said.

"But she is!" Mello accused, pointing at Piper.

"I _am _a six year old," Piper informed.

Huffing, Mello turned to Matt. "So how is a little girl going to help us find a hooker's house?"

"He's not a hooker!" Piper screeched.

"Defensive," Mello whistled. "You don't even know him, kid. And shut up, the adults are talking."

"Mommy and Next both being quiet," Piper sneered.

"Ouch," Matt hissed. "That burns, Ob, that really burns."

"You're less mature then me and that's saying something!" Piper retorted. "And its Ob_i_, with an I on the end. Not _Ob_."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Mello muttered.

"Who was played by Ewen McGregor and looked like less of a cream puff then you in Episode One; the Phantom Menace," Piper sing-songed.

"Your kid is a geek," Mello told Linda, before realizing. "What!? There is no way I'm more of a fruit then Obi-Wan in that movie!"

"You paint your fingernails," the little girl told him.

"How can you tell!?" Mello snapped. "I wear gloves!"

"I was just guessing," she smiled. "But thanks for confirming it."

Groaning in frustration the blonde reached for the little girl, only to be grabbed from behind. As he struggled against Next's weak hold, Linda pulled the door open and waved them inside.

Matt took a seat on the sofa like he owned the place, scooting over as Next shoved Mello down and sat beside him. Piper ran over to a stack of toys and Linda sat in a chair across from them.

"No TV?" Mello asked.

"Piper and I spent all our free time in the art studio or playing with toys," Linda informed him. "There's no need for things like TV or the internet."

While Mello stared at her, Matt informed him; "They don't own any video games, either."

"Insanity," the blonde breathed. "Complete insanity."

"I know how to keep myself busy," Linda hummed. "And Piper can entertain herself easily, just like her father. She also likes to play with toys, just like N-"

She stopped in the middle of her sentence as Matt gave her a stern look.

"Anyway," Linda went on, clearing her throat. "I do believe Piper can help you, Matt, but I don't want anything else going on. She's not in complete control of it yet and although she is much better at it then her father was, there's still a chance you could get lost in a reality and never come back home. If that happens I'll find myself a Jumper and hunt you down in every last reality until I've had my fill of revenge."

"Scary," Mello breathed.

"Jumper?" Next asked.

"A person with the ability to travel freely throughout the different realities," Matt explained. "They are rare and far between. Some are more powerful then others- for example, while all can travel alone, some can travel with others and a few are able to send people through without going themselves. The ability to jump is passed throughout the family although its not something a child will instantly get. If you're a jumper in one reality you are a jumper in all the realities you exist in. Piper here-"

"_Obi-_" The little girl corrected.

"_Piper_," Linda stated firmly.

"Had the ability passed down from her father," Matt finished.

"You know," Mello mused, looking the little girl up and down. "She looks really familiar. I mean, I see the Linda in her, but there's something else in there too…"

"Of course," Linda huffed, crossing her arms. "Her father was from the orphanage."

"The orphanage?" Mello asked in surprise.

"Was?" Next repeated.

"Yes," Linda nodded to Mello. "And yes," she did to Next as well. "He died about six years ago."

"I'm so sorry," Next breathed.

Linda smiled sadly. "Don't worry about it. We weren't in love. I cared for him a great deal but he had other things on his mind, including someone else. Still, he cared for Piper with all his heart and gave us both enough money to last for the rest of our lives. If he hadn't died I know he would have been a great father."

Matt cleared his throat, jumping at the glare Linda sent his way. "Anyway," he went on, looking at Piper. "What do you say, Obi? Do you want to do some jumping for us so we can take Next back to his home?"

Looking them up and down a few times, Piper gave a shrug of indifference and said, "Beats watching paint dry, I suppose."

Mello rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, giving an annoyed noise. "Okay, this is a load of shit. The fun and games are over- they weren't funny in the first place, but this is going a little bit too far!"

"Be safe, sweetheart," Linda told Piper, kissing her on the head. She then sent Matt a stern glare. "If anything happens to her, Matt…" she left the warning there.

"Lets just take the hooker home," Mello continued to rant. "Flying us all the way out to god knows where and getting Linda and her kid in on it? Come _on_, Matt, this is pathetic! And if this is some sort of prank then it isn't very good!"

"Is there anything you need to make the jump?" Matt asked Piper.

"Nope," she responded. "I'll just follow his trail back to the last world he came from. Easy as pie."

Matt shrugged. "I have no idea how jumping works. I've never been outside of this reality."

"You could have come up with a story twenty times better then this!" Mello went on, either not realizing he was being ignored or not caring. "I mean, you've played over a thousand different video games, right? One of them has to have a better plot then this!"

"Are you ready?" Piper asked Next, who nodded. The little girl grabbed hold of his hand, grabbing hold of Matt as well. "Grab him," she told them both, nodding to Mello.

"You could have said he was the reincarnation of Cloud Strife and it would have sounded better," Mello continued, paying no attention as Next and Matt grabbed hold of his hands.

"Matt," Linda caught the redhead's attention one last time. "I'm going to let Near know you're coming."

"Near?" Mello asked. "Who is Near-?"

The world twisted and turned around him, pulling at the back of his stomach. His grip on Next almost slipped but the albino held his hand firmly. It was as if they were falling, but still standing on solid ground- he couldn't see anything, save for the three people around him.

Then it stopped and they stumbled to the ground, save for Piper.

"…What the fuck was that?" Mello asked.

"Jumping," Piper told him with a smug look.

Next stood up, brushing himself off. He glanced around before gasping and pointing off to the north. "There's my home!"

Mello stood as well and turned to look, expecting to see a shabby little whore house or maybe a cottage, or _something_. Or maybe a huge sign saying, 'Haha, we got you good, Mello.' Anything would have made sense (not that falling through nothingness and landing in the middle of a field when just seconds ago he was in a house made sense) aside from what Next was pointing at.

"You live in a castle," Matt deadpanned.

"Um, yes?" Next offered.

Mello glared at Matt who promptly ignored him and asked, "You're a prince?"

"Um-" Next breathed, looking anywhere but at the redhead.

"He's not a prince!" Mello protested. "You're a hooker that Matt hired and now he's going _way _too far to deny it!"

Matt smacked Mello across the back of the head. "Mel, come _on_. I'm twenty-seven years old, I don't play pranks anymore! And you are not blind; so stop denying what is right in front of you! I know it's hard to swallow but this shit is real, okay? Magic exists, different realities exist! You know the Death Note is real, how is this such a stretch?"

Mello's eyes narrowed and Matt swallowed nervously. There was an unspoken agreement between the two of them that the Death Note would remain unmentioned. It had taken the life of their idol, as well as many others. It had also taken the life of someone that Mello cared for (in a very odd way) although could not stand, but the blonde didn't know that.

"The death note was something I couldn't explain, true," Mello breathed. "But this story is just way too outrageous to be true."

"It is true," Piper told him, breaking a bit of the tension between the two men.

"How would you know? You're just a little girl," Mello hissed.

She crossed her arms and gave him a cold look, one that seemed all too familiar. "I may seem like just a little girl to you, but my father was smart. Smarter then you. And even if I didn't get to meet him, I got my brains from him, at least enough to know when to have an open mind."

"Smarter then me? Ha!" Mello laughed. "I was top of my class at the top school in the _world_. No one is smarter then me."

Piper gave him a disbelieving look before she turned to Matt and glared. "You _didn't_."

Matt gave a sheepish grin, before stepping back to avoid the swipe Piper threw at him. "What!? He was upset, okay!? Suicidal! I couldn't stand to see him like that!"

"You're an idiot!" The little girl screamed.

"They'll come back if he ever sees Near again!" Matt protested.

"Near's right there!" Piper snapped, pointing at a very confused Next.

"I meant the Near from my world," Matt corrected.

"He's _dead_," Piper hissed.

"The Near from- oh you know what I mean!" Matt exclaimed, throwing his hands up in defeat. "They'll come back if he sees the Near he's in love with. Those are the specifics."

"What the shit are you two talking about?" Mello interrupted with a hiss. "What will come back? Who is Near? What the _fuck _is going on!?"

"Um…" Next breathed, catching everyone's attention. "I don't like to break up your party, but…" he pointed toward the castle, where a group of men on horses could be seen riding their direction.

"Well isn't this just lovely," Mello growled, crossing his arms. "You even hired horsemen."

"I didn't hire anyone!" Matt screeched.

"This is a load of shit!" Mello retorted.

"Stop being so thick headed!" Matt yelled.

"I hope they're not always like this," Piper said to Next.

"I hope Piper is right," Next agreed with a nod.

It wasn't long before the men on horseback reached them. It was a group of maybe ten men, obviously from the palace- they wore armor and carried weapons. The man in front had a sword and shield, red hair and an eye patch over one eye. He looked everyone over before finally dropping off of his horse and approaching slowly.

After a moment of silence and staring at both Next and Mello, he finally said, "I see you two found each other."

Next glanced at Mello before holding up his hands in defense. "Oh, no! This isn't-"

"Holy shit!" Mello breathed suddenly, eyes wide.

The new man lifted an eyebrow and looked at Next in question.

"Do not tell me," he sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "I suppose the hair should have given it away. Oh well. I've found you and that is what matters."

"Be more respectful!" Piper snapped at Mello. "This guy is a royal guard!"

"Don't you see it?!" Mello hissed, pointing at the new guy.

"See what?" The little girl asked.

"This guy is _Matt_!"

The redhead gave his friend a confused look before turning to look at the man, giving him a long stare. After a few moments his eyes went wide and he realized exactly what Mello was saying.

"Holy shit!" He cried as well. "Its me!"

"Next," the man said to the albino. "Would you kindly explain what is going on?"

"Um…" Next breathed, giving an embarrassed smile. "Mail, this is Matt, Mello, and Piper. This is Mail, Mihael and my person guard and personal friend."

"I'm your fucking _guard_!?" Matt screeched at Mello.

"_My _guard?!" Mello breathed.

"Oh, brother," Piper sighed, rolling her eyes.

--

Mihael lifted his head as Near entered the room, taking a seat across from him.

"I have good news," the white one said, lifting a hand to his hair and curling a lock around his fingers.

"What is it?" Mihael asked, eyes narrowed. It was obvious he still did not quite trust Near, which wasn't something that surprised him.

"A friend from another world contacted me," Near went on, perking the other man's interest. "She met Next. She told me that she sent a jumper with him to bring him home to Mihael."

The elder man eyed Near carefully. Before he could say anything, however, Near continued.

"I know Mihael doesn't trust me and I haven't given him any reason to. But Mihael has nothing more to lose right now."

Mihael stared at him for a few seconds before he said in an amused tone, "You're not very good at convincing people, white one."

Near hummed in response. "I usually just do things without trying to convince anyone."

"What a kind person you are."

"Well, not everyone can be as kind as King Mihael."

"So you say Next is on his way with this person… do you know when he will be here?"

"No, but Mihael is welcome to wait here with me if he wishes."

Running a hand through his blue tipped bangs, Mihael gave a nod. "Thank you, white one."

Near smiled slightly. "No need to thank me."


	3. Memories

Chapter 03

Chapter 03

"I don't know what is going on," Mail hummed, crossing his arms over his chest and giving both Mello and Matt a cold stare down. "But I am not _your _guard and I am most certainly _not _you."

"Actually…" Matt said nervously, as if explaining plans to a highly explosive bomb. "You kind of are. You see, there are different realities-"

"I know about different realities," Mail stopped him. "But I am most certainly not _you_. The last time I checked I didn't have a tail."

"I don't have a tail either!" Matt protested.

"Actually," Piper chirped, pointing behind him. "You kind of do."

"What!?" Reaching around, Matt grabbed blindly at his back end. He pulled a furry red tail around himself in horror. After a moment of thought he lifted up his free hand and placed it on top of his head, feeling a fuzzy ear twitch beneath his finger tips. "Oh my god!" He screamed dramatically.

"Why do you have a tail?" Mello asked.

"How should I know?!" Matt screeched.

"Do Shura not have tails where you come from?" Mail asked.

"They don't have Shura where they come from," Next explained.

"No Shura?" Mail sounded shocked.

"No Sylph, either," Next confirmed.

"What about Sprites?" Mail asked.

Next shook his head. "None of those, either."

"What a boring place," Mail hummed.

"Yeah, well…" Matt mumbled, tugging on his tail. "At least we have video games!"

"What is a… video game?" Mail asked. Matt looked at him in horror.

"I think…" Mello breathed. "That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Next turned to Mail, a worried look on his face. "Is Mihael back at the castle…?"

"Actually," Mail hummed, glancing behind himself before turning back to Next. "He went to see the white one."

Next gasped, throwing a hand over his mouth. "The white one!? Why!?"

"He thought the reason for your disappearance was the white one," Mail explained. "You disappeared so suddenly in a flash of magic, Mihael thought it could only be a trick by a mirror king."

"The 'white one'?" Mello asked.

"That's what they call their Mirror king," Matt explained.

"You should know who the white one is," Mail told Mello with an unamused expression. "You are the dark one, after all."

"I'm what now?" Mello asked, lifting an eyebrow. "The 'dark one'?"

"Correct," Mail answered.

"You have me mistaken for someone else," the blonde told him. "I've never been to this world and I've never met this 'white one'. I'm certainly not some 'dark one', whatever that means."

Mail shook his head. "I know for a fact you are the dark one. We've met before."

"We've met?" Mello asked.

The guard nodded. "When you were questing to get the ten mirror powers… you fell into a river after a bridge broke, over in Marihanda. I was there on business when I saw you wash up along side the river. I took you to the closest town."

"I've never been here!" Mello protested.

"You have," Mail told him.

"Okay!" Matt laughed nervously, stepping between the two. "I think you have this Mello confused with a different Mello. There are infinite numbers of them out there, after all!" He grinned, obviously forcing it.

"You are no better a liar then I," Mail told him.

"Told you I'm you," Matt muttered.

--

"Mihael's guard has found Next," Near stated, curling a lock of hair from the doll he held in his hand around his fingertips. "They're headed back to your castle now. There's an 87 chance they'll come here so you might as well wait."

Mihael lifted an eyebrow but said nothing, instead taking a sip of the drink in front of him.

Near grabbed hold of the doll's head and pulled until it ripped apart. He then picked up another toy, this one more of a soldier, and placed the doll's head onto the already decapitated neck. "There is a few men from Marihanda following them."

The other man nearly choked on his drink. "What!? Why didn't you tell me!?"

"I just did," Near deadpanned.

Mihael sent a glare his direction and stood. "Please excuse me-"

"They will not attack," Near told him, motioning for him to sit back down. "They are planning to follow Next. He will be safe with Mail around."

"I do trust Mail," Mihael began. "But-"

"Stay," Near ordered.

The king glared. "I don't take orders."

Near lifted his eyes to him. "Stay?" This time it was a request.

"Why?"

"…Please?"

"But, Next-"

"Will be fine with Mail."

Mihael shook his head. "I'm leaving." And with those words he turned and left the room.

Near sighed, curling his fingers through the mutated doll's hair. He then discarded the toy carelessly on the ground and stood, approaching the window.

"My apologies, Near," a voice from the bed stated, followed by the sound of shifting.

"L is not real," Near informed, not bothering to turn around.

"I know," L responded, his thumb at his lips. "I am merely a figment of your delusional mind here to give you words of advice that you already know but are too stubborn to listen to."

"That would be all advice," Near hummed, reaching out to open up the window.

Although he wasn't facing the man, he knew L was smiling. He wasn't sure if it was because L was just a part of his mind, or because he knew the man so well. Either way, it was that annoying smile that said, 'Yes, I know.' Near hated it almost as much as he missed it.

"You don't know everything," L told him.

"L is right," Near whispered, watching quietly as a lone horse rode off down the mountain trail. "L is only telling me things I already know."

--

"We got him home," Mello stated as they entered the courtyard, crossing his arms over his chest. "Mission accomplished, all that jazz. So lets go, I think I left the oven on."

Matt gave him an annoyed look. "You get thrown into an interesting new place and you want to go home? You don't want to figure out the mysteries of this world or maybe who this white one is, all that?"

"I deal with mysteries every day," Mello told him, obviously annoyed. "And I don't give a shit about this 'white one'." Matt snorted in disapproval. "This little prank – which I admit, _might _not be a prank – is over and done with, so lets just go home."

"Aww," Piper whined. "So soon?"

"Your mom would kill me if I got you caught up in finding Near and reuniting them," Matt whispered to her.

Piper crossed her arms over her chest. "Mom is going to kill you anyway once she finds out you erased his memories."

"Ha!" Matt laughed. "She already knows."

Piper gaped at him. "What!? And she didn't kick your ass for it!?"

"She knew that I had to do it!" Matt snapped. "She knew what was at stake!"

"You're such a dumb ass!" The little girl informed him. "You lost your mirror king powers a year ago, that's a whole year you had to bring him back here to Near but you just kept him to yourself!"

"I had my reasons!" Matt protested.

"Jealousy is not a reason!" Piper snapped.

"Ahem," Mail interrupted, getting both of their attention. "I'm not sure what exactly the two of you are talking about, but you may want to decide if you wish to stay or go. Now that Next has returned it is up to him if you are able to stay in this castle or not, considering he is the Prince."

"Told you he's a prince," Piper sing-songed, sticking her tongue out at Mello.

"You never said a damn thing!" Mello yelled.

"Of course you can stay," Next informed with a smile. "You returned me to my home, after all- I owe it to you."

"We're not staying," Mello informed.

"We'd love to stay," Matt contradicted in the same breath.

The two of them had a stare down, but Next was too busy telling a nearby maid to prepare three rooms.

--

The rain was as relentless as it normally was in this area, just as it had been on his way to the castle. But Mihael didn't care, wasn't concerned with the weather or how cold it was. After all, a little water and low temperatures weren't going to do much harm to him or his horse.

Marihanda had spies after Next. It was both a good and a bad thing- the good part being that Next had somehow managed to find his way back to this reality, the bad of course being that his enemy nation had spies following his love. Their king was a low asshole, sending spies and possibly assassins after his enemies loved ones. It was insanity- Mihael would never do something so low… okay, so maybe he would, but he hadn't yet and that was what mattered.

Not that Mail would let him. Damn bastard and his sense of justice, or some shit.

But hey, the man was his best friend and the best guard in the country, so he couldn't really complain. He also didn't know anyone else who would put up with him… except for Next, of course.

Next… so he was alright, if what the White One said was true. He wasn't sure he could trust the White One – after all, it was extremely easy to pass off Next's disappearance as something else and claim to be completely innocent when you barely have enough emotion to ever show that you're lying. Mihael had to wonder if the Dark One knew the White One well enough to know if he was lying? Whatever, no one had heard from the Dark One since the defeat of Holand two years ago and it wasn't like Mihael cared anyway.

Although it made sense as to why the White One built himself a castle made of ice and disappeared into it.

The White One had no reason to lie, though, so Mihael was willing to give him the benefit of a doubt. Despite being cast into Marihanda, the White One did not actually come from either country and therefore was not an enemy; then again, it meant he was not an ally either. But the White One had refused to take part in the war, so it was doubtful he would suddenly rage an attack against Mihael.

Besides, wouldn't him attacking Next be like him attacking himself? He doubted that the White One hated himself that much.

Although they were technically the same person, Next and 'Near' were not alike. If it wasn't their difference in appearance it was the lack of emotion that Near had next to Next's not exactly emotional but still somewhat existent state. Next was sweet and caring, while Near was distant and cold… not to mention Next was about forty times more attractive, but that was probably because Mihael didn't go for the 'oh my god I'm so underweight I almost don't exist' type.

Maybe if his mind had been in the right place he would have had enough in him to care about the state of the Mirror King, but at the moment all he wanted to do was get home to Next.

Riding the long journey back to his castle gave him a lot of time to think and usually when his mind was wandering it somehow found its way back to a certain longhaired albino with bright blue eyes. Then again, it shouldn't have been surprising, considering – this time his wandering mind brought him back to the first time they'd met, back when they were still barely teenagers.

--

He couldn't remember how Next had gotten to the castle, just that he wasn't there one day and the next he was. He was kind of a hard person to not notice, so Mihael was pretty sure he would have noticed him had he been there before. A small little figure sitting at the other end of the rather large table, gathered around with all of the other birthday party guests – looking like he was so nervous he was going to throw up.

"Father," Mihael had addressed the King, catching his attention away from his mother for a moment. He motioned to the young man at the other end of the table. "Who is that?"

Mihael's father looked at Next for a few moments before he gave a shrug. "Probably the child of one of the generals."

"But he's never been here before," Mihael told him.

"You probably just didn't notice him," his mother stated, giving the boy a once over. "Oh my, he looks starved to death. Poor thing. And Albino, too- I've heard they're very sickly." She then went on about something else, continuing the conversation with his father.

Mihael spent the rest of the night staring at Next, who spent the rest of the night staring at his plate.

When the party was over, Mihael spent at least an hour hunting down the strange new boy. When he finally managed to find him, Next was sitting in the garden, curled up on a bench, half asleep.

"Hi," Mello greeted, catching the boy off guard.

Next had stared at him in complete shock. It was a look Mihael was pretty used to – he liked to spent a lot of his time in town and when he talked to people they usually got that look on their faces. It wasn't everyday a crown prince decided to grace your presence, even if you did eat dinner at the same (extremely long) table as him.

"I'm Mihael," he introduced, holding out a hand.

After a few tries, Next finally managed to breath out his name, carefully taking Mihael's hand in his own.

A spark flew through them, making Mihael see white for a few moments. It was a sensation he'd never felt before but he had heard his mother talking about it once or twice when he was younger.

_One day you'll meet your soul mate, Mihael. A nice girl or maybe even a boy. You have to be open, it could be anyone. But you'll know them when you see them and when you touch them your vision will go white. You'll just know._

"Are you," Mihael breathed, trying to clear his head. "The son of a general, or a Prince? Something like that… I saw you eating at the table, you didn't really touch your food. You looked kind of nervous. I've never seen you before."

Next just stared at him, as if afraid to speak. After a few moments Mihael cleared his throat and the albino boy finally spoke.

"No," he said. That was it. Just 'no'.

"No?" Mihael asked.

Next looked away nervously. "Um… no, I'm not the son of a general, or a prince."

"Oh…" it was then that Mihael realized he was still holding Next's hand. Trying to ignore the embarrassed flush on his cheeks, he let go of the other's handand sat beside him. "Well, its nice to meet you, Next. How old are you?"

"Twelve," Next informed.

"I just turned fifteen today," Mihael said, almost proudly.

"Happy birthday," Next said.

"Thanks," Mihael breathed.

They spent the rest of the night in comfortable silence, at least on Mihael's part. After a while Next opened up and relaxed next to him.

The next day when all of the other General's kids left for their own homes and all of the other Kings and Princes went home, Next stayed. When Mihael asked why he didn't go home, Next explained that he didn't have a home to go to. He didn't say any more then that and Mihael didn't ask, figuring it was his own business and he shouldn't pry. His father let Next stay in the castle without putting up a fight… then again, his father always had been a kind and caring King.

Mihael talked to his mother the next morning about the spark, although he didn't tell her who he'd felt it with.

"Remember when you told me I'd see white when I touched my soul mate?" He asked after getting her attention in her reading room.

She smiled widely. "You've found a lucky girl!"

"Boy," he told her. Her smile didn't falter and she motioned for him to sit. "I touched his hand and this spark flew through me… my vision went white. I feel drawn toward him."

"Get a match keeper to confirm it," she told him, still smiling. "It can only get better from here, darling."

Sure enough, a match keeper confirmed it the next day. It took a bit of sneaking around, but the young match keeper was always willing to get into trouble with him.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "That kid is your soul mate… although your soul line is weird."

"How so?" Mihael asked.

"It's broken," she told him. "Torn up. It's kinda weird, but don't let that stop you! He's cute, too. A little skinny, though. Looks like he's been through hell."

Mihael was barely fifteen at the time, he wasn't sure he wanted to peruse an absolute relationship with a boy he barely knew. But when he approached Next for a friendship it was almost impossible to stop it from growing it something more emotionally. He didn't approach the younger man for a sexual relationship, though – he wasn't ready for that sort of thing, even if Next hadn't been way too young.

It was about the time he turned nineteen that he finally confessed to Next how he felt.

He'd been insanely nervous that day, simply because he had finally agreed to tell the albino. Mail had talked him into it – well, more like smacked him over the back of the head every time he made an excuse.

Today was better then any other day, considering it was Next's decided birthday – the albino said he couldn't remember when his birthday was (which would have seemed suspicious had Mihael not milked out of him that he was an orphan years ago), so they had decided upon a date. The twenty forth day of the ninth month – that's what he had chosen, specifically. It was an odd day, Mihael had to admit, but he didn't question Next's choice.

He spent a while searching for his albino friend only to find the boy in the bathing room, submerged in the large pool of water, relaxing. Mihael took a seat beside the bath, back facing it – he'd done thins hundreds of times, it was a normal thing for them.

"Next," he addressed, trying to catch the boy's attention.

Next pulled his head out of the water so his ears weren't blocked. "Hm?"

"There's something I have to tell you."

Next shifted in the water and from the sound Mihael could make out he was turning to face the blonde. He turned around too, unable to see much more then Next's upper half, since the albino was pressed against the side of the tub.

"I… Uh…" Mihael wasn't sure how to say it. While he had planned to just take the direct approach and come right out with it, his voice wasn't listening to the plans. "I, uh… y-you see… I… um…" Stupid voice, why couldn't it listen to the plan!? It wasn't that hard to say, just three little words! Simple as pie! I. Love. You. "I… I uh… I-I…"

"'Am in love with you'?" Next offered.

Mihael breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes. Wait-" He stared at Next in shock. "How did you- When did you-"

Next smiled coyly. "I have known for a while."

"B-But… how…?"

The albino turned around, smirking deviously over his shoulder. "Has Mihael forgotten that soul mates can read each other's minds?"

The blonde tried to ignore his pink cheeks. "But… that's only if they've- … and we haven't…"

"If they've had sex it happens, or if they've been around each other long enough. I've known Mihael for years."

"So you've been able to read my mind for a while now…?"

"Almost two months."

"How come I can't read yours…?"

"Mihael hasn't tried."

The blonde sighed in a mix of confusion and relief. "S-So, um… well…"

Next smiled. "Mihael is usually so good with words, I am surprised and a bit flattered to see him so twisted up over me."

Mihael laughed nervously. "Yeah, well… words I am good with, but affairs of the heart not so much."

Lifting a hand, Next twisted a lock of his long hair around his finger tip, still watching Mihael carefully. "Mihael does not have to worry," he informed. "Because I feel the same way toward Mihael that Mihael feels toward me."

Smiling, the blonde asked, "Really?"

"Really," Next confirmed with a nod.

That day had been great and everyday after that had been better. Sure, they'd had their differences and fights- but every couple did, it was unhealthy not to. But Mihael couldn't remember a moment when he could say he didn't love the albino, or even a moment when he came close to doubting it.

It wasn't until a year or so later that they slept together. Mihael had expected their bond to strengthen but he could still feel nothing from his end – Next could read his mind, tell his emotions, even locate him from a town away, yet Mihael could do none of it. He even went so far as to ask another Match Keeper to confirm it but there was no mistaking that they were soul mates.

He didn't let it bother him, however, or at least he tried not to. He and Next cared for each other and that was what mattered.

Still, at times like this, when he didn't know where Next was or if he was alright, it bothered him. Especially since The White One could have easily told him Next was alive and back in their reality just to send him into a trap.

But it wasn't healthy to always worry. So, as he stopped for the night, he tried to let all of the frustration out and just think about how nice it was going to be to see Next again.

--

"So now we need to figure out what we're going to do," Matt stated, after they'd had a good (but extremely strange) meal and some time to rest.

"There's nothing to figure out," Mello informed sternly. "We're going back home and I'm going to pretend this never happened."

"Lets weigh our options," Matt went on, holding up both hands. "One, we could go home… two, we could stay. What are the pros and cons?"

"I'm not suggesting, Matt," Mello hissed. "We're going home."

"At least stay the night?" Next asked. "I'll make sure you get the royal treatment."

"Oh, royal treatment," Matt smiled.

"Piper, take us home, now," Mello ordered.

"Royal treatment," she responded with a grin.

Mello groaned. "Are you all against me?"

"Yep," Mail told him.

"I hate you all," Mello informed.

Next stood. "So it's settled! You're staying. Wonderful. I'm sure Mihael would love to meet you, when he gets back- if he gets back…" he looked toward Mail. "Perhaps I should go retrieve him?"

"I will go," Mail informed.

"To see the white one?" Next asked. "Isn't that a dangerous route? We can't afford to lose Mail…"

"And we can't afford to lose you even more so, my prince," Mail responded. "Please, stay here. We've only just retrieved you."

"Alright," Next sighed.

"I will head out tomorrow," Mail promised. "For now it is late. You should all get some rest."

"Actually," Matt hummed. "I smell like airplane. Mind if I take a bath?"

"That's a wonderful idea!" Next chirped. "A bath sounds appealing right about now."

Matt cleared his throat, ignoring his red face. "Wait… a bath… together?"

Next stared at him. "Does Matt have a problem with that? We have quite a large bath…"

Mello grinned at the redhead teasingly. "Yeah… does Matt have a problem with that?"

Matt glared at him. "No!" The ears on top of his head laid flat and his tail drooped.

"Your body language tells me differently," Mello laughed, lifting up and tugging on one of the ears.

"Shut up!" Matt snapped. "This place is fucked up."

--

Next had been right about the bath – it was the size of a damn pool, although only about waist deep. It was the kind of bath like they'd have at a bathhouse, the one you shower in first then just relax in the heated water.

Matt was off sulking in a corner, poking at his new ears and trying to ignore the tail. Mello was leaning against the edge, letting his mind wander, when he heard Next get into the water.

When he saw the albino, it happened. His mind flooded with images, words, sounds that he didn't understand. He saw pale, smooth skin – soft white hair, not long but short, curled around thin fingers with perfectly trimmed fingernails. Long eyelashes, a much too small waist, small feet, a cute little nose – small details, yet he couldn't make out the big picture.

'_You can stop hiding, now_.' The sound of water, someone moving in it. '_It's not like I haven't seen you naked before_.'

'_I was five, and Matt almost killed me that day_.'

A memory. A pool… L taking him to a pool. Hadn't he gone alone? No, there was another little boy there – but it wasn't Matt. Matt wasn't there. A young boy whose name and face he couldn't remember… he'd pushed him in. That little boy had hit his head and they'd gone to the hospital. L had given him a talking to…

N-No… that couldn't be right. He'd gone alone… alone…

'_Is that an admission of loneliness I hear from the great Ne-'_

'_Mello sounds so surprised_.'

'_You always liked being alone_.'

A little boy sitting alone in a playroom, putting together a puzzle – no, not just a puzzle… a blank puzzle, a completely white puzzle. White… that was all he could see when he thought of that little boy. White…

The touch of skin against skin. A whisper in his ear… soft breath hitching in pain as well as pleasure.

'_Just sex, no romantic attachments, and not going to happen again.'_

But it wasn't just sex… there were romantic attachments. He… loved him? No, that couldn't be – Mello had never loved anyone. The only person he'd cared for was L and only in a fatherly way… he liked Matt and the guy was a good friend but that was it. He'd never been in love… never…

_I'm telling you man, that's love_.

'_I love you too, Ne-_'

'_Mello is lying!'_

'_Look at me. I'm the real deal._'

A push, a gentle shove through a hole in reality and he was back in his own world… but the boy hadn't come with. He'd wound up with Matt, just the two of them – the white boy was gone. Then there was nothing…

He'd forgotten something very important…

_I wish Mello was here_.

That boy's voice, there it was again – but this wasn't a memory. This was echoing in his ears.

Sorrow. It washed over him in waves. But it wasn't his own… it was connected to him through a long string, stretched over miles and miles. A second heart beat in unison with his own. A mind twisted around his own… a soul connected to his.

But all he could see was white.

_I wish Mello was here…_

"Mello!"

He was back in the bath and he felt sick. The sorrow came in uncontrollable waves until he finally figured out how to block it off. His vision started to clear and he saw Next and Matt looking at him with worried eyes.

"What happened?" Matt asked.

"We're staying," was Mello's response.


	4. Journey to the truth

**Chapter 04 – Journey to the truth  
**

Alone in his room, the white one quietly smiled to himself.

--

"Next… as hospitable as this place is, we really have to go."

Next looked confused, pushing the contents of his breakfast plate around with a fork. "But didn't Mello say that he wishes to stay?"

Mello nodded. "Stay in this reality, yes. But not here in the castle."

"What does Mello mean?" The prince asked.

Mello glanced at an equally as confused Matt for a few moments before turning back to Next and offering an explanation. "I want to go see the white one."

Mail gave him an amused look while Next stared at him in surprise. "The white one?" Next repeated. "Why does Mello want to see the white one…?"

"Well," Mello breathed, before taking a glass of orange juice, which surprisingly actually tasted like orange juice. "I had a dream about him last night."

"A dream…" Mail hummed, smiling around his fork. Matt was doing the same, but for different reasons.

"I'm not getting into details," Mello stated firmly, setting the ground rules. "But I'll spend the rest of my life wondering if I don't figure this out. Mail, do you mind taking me with you? If you do, I'll figure out a way to get there on my own."

"I'm coming too," Matt chirped before Mail could answer. "No way I'm sitting this one out!"

"I can take you two with me," Mail confirmed. "Next, could you provide them with a horse? The swiftest one you can manage. I was hoping to travel there in two days time."

"Two days?" Next asked. "Its normally a three day travel…"

"Not with my horse," Mail boasted. He looked at Matt and Mello. "If you two are to travel with me you will ride a horse together – I will hear no complaints, three horses will slow us down. If you don't like it, I'll tie a rope to your ankles and you can ride behind me."

Matt and Mello looked at each other, before offering, "No complaints!"

"We wont be doing much resting," the guard went on. "I want to make it there before Mihael decides to leave."

"When are we going?" Mello asked.

"In one hour," Mail informed.

"Mello and Matt had best get ready, then," Next cut in.

"Yeah," Matt said with a smile. "We'd best get ready."

--

To say Matt was a bit excited was an understatement. Not that it was practical, getting excited about visiting one of the dullest people he knew – but it was someone he hadn't seen in six years, someone who had been _dead_ the last time they'd met up. Matt had been assigned to see the body into its grave, since Mello couldn't handle seeing his life-long rival dead at his feet. Near had barely been eighteen, at the time… he'd looked all peaceful and shit, laying there. Like he was asleep, or something equally as cheesy.

But here he was, alive and well. Twenty-four, by now… maybe twenty five, Matt couldn't remember his birthday. All grown up. He wondered if Near still looked like a fourteen year old girl or if age had finally gotten to him…

He supposed he could judge by looking at Next, but for some reason the two of them just… didn't seem like the same person. Next had Near's attitude of superiority without doubt, but at the same time he was kind and bright, not to mention the boy actually _smiled _and _frowned_. He had longer hair and bluer eyes… it was like two different people with the same name.

Kind of like himself and Mail, he supposed – the sound of his own name was weird to his ears. He'd never thought of that as his name, not since becoming Matt… hell, even before Wammy's he had gone by nicknames, instead of 'Mail'. Yet this 'other him' wore the name proudly, like a badge. He supposed it was a good thing… if they both went by Matt, how were they going to tell them apart?

This other him… he was quite different. He wasn't fun loving and lazy, didn't play video games or smoke. He had a sense of himself that almost made Matt jealous, a pride that only came from knowing you could win before you even began a problem. Then again, the guy was the highest guard of a fucking King… he supposed pride just came with that title in waves so big they could take down Miami.

The guy was cold, much like Near – although he didn't have that same 'I'm better then you so why should I bother with you?' attitude. He seemed like a nice enough guy if you got him away from his work, but he was very serious about keeping Next and probably Mihael safe.

Mail, Mihael… both of their other halves went by their real names. But why didn't Next? Matt had been there when Mikami had written Near's name down and his real name was certainly not 'Next'. Nate River, that's what the crazy emo guy had said. So why didn't Next go by the name 'Nate'…? Was he just like them- did he have a bad past that he wanted to hide under a fake name and a fake identity?

It was obviously a coincidence, but as far as Matt could remember, Near had used the code name 'Next' as a backup code name. Each of them had backups in case they had to hide out or give a false name. L had given Near the backup name 'Next' to go along with his own backup 'Last'. It had pissed Mello off to no end.

Not that Mello could remember that… Matt had fucked up big time, this time around. But really, given the situation, who could blame him? Aside from Mello and possibly Near – but when the blonde saw his boyfriend he'd be okay again! That was the condition, so Matt had put it.

Mello had been upset after Near had shoved him back into his own reality and closed the gate. Matt had never seen the blonde so unhappy – angry he had seen, but sad? Crying? It was like Mello had come back a different person… and he had. Tales of working with Near, learning magic, all this craziness that eventually lead up to a confession of love that Matt had known about but never expected. And he'd just smiled sadly and told Mello he believed him, didn't give a reason why or an explanation. He believed him, and that was what mattered.

It had only gotten worse from there. Mello couldn't work, he refused to eat, he wasn't sleeping – he couldn't function in this state of depression. They put off any casework that came up, turned down all sorts of mysteries. Mello just sat on the couch all day and all night, staring blankly at the mirror on the other side of the room.

'A mirrored reality,' he would laugh every so often. 'Can you believe that…? Not only are there infinite realities, but there are infinite mirrored versions of them. I'd hate to live in a mirrored world, anyway… copying everything your other half does. Or maybe it just comes naturally. I don't know, I didn't understand it. Just like I didn't understand how the language worked. Were they speaking English or did I just hear English…?'

He would go off like that for a while then just stop and stare some more.

Mello was a wreck.

Matt didn't have the heart to tell him that he could contact Near or that he could send him back.

But he just couldn't do it.

So he erased his memories.

He did it to protect Mello. Because he was going down the tunnel of depression and it was a dead end with no light. All that could happen now was Mello starving himself to death or killing himself… he wouldn't even eat chocolate, for crying out loud! What else could Matt do? It was for the best… it was for the best!

Or so he told himself.

Okay… so he was jealous. He could admit it… to himself. Admitting it to someone else, now that was never going to happen. Matt was jealous. Not that he had the hots for Mello or Near or anything – he was just jealous that they had both found someone. But that wasn't why he'd erased Mello's memories… he was just looking out for his friend, or some shit like that.

Besides, he'd made sure that if Mello ever saw Near again (or rather the Near he was in love with… Next didn't count) that his memories would come back. Of course, he was inwardly hoping Mello never saw him… mostly because he was afraid the blonde was going to kill him very slowly when his memories did return… but now that they could, why not?

…Yeah, he was going to die.

--

Next had bid them farewell almost sadly as they'd headed off on horseback. Just a small wave and a whisper of, 'be safe'. Like a homebound lover sending their heart off to war, knowing fully that there was a chance they wouldn't come back. Piper at his side, waving as well.

In that split second, Mello realized just how much Piper and Next looked alike. But he didn't let it bother him.

They rode for hours in silence. Mail on his horse and Mello on his, Matt behind him. They went at a painful speed that made Mello's bum ache, but he couldn't ask for anything else – he was impatient and was already getting fed up, ready to meet this 'white one'.

He lost track of time, quietly thinking about what had happened in the bath. About the memories that he was beginning to believe weren't real. About that time at the pool, the one where he could swear had just been him and L, yet he could clearly remember sitting in the hospital after pushing someone into the water.

White… it was still all he could see when he thought about that boy. That was why he had decided to go see the white one. It was a stretch, but these thoughts hadn't started until he'd come to this world… and Mail had said they'd met before, that he was the 'dark one'. It was worth a shot, worth a shot…

Eventually they stopped for the night. Mail told them they were making good time, then pointed to a nearby mountain and said that the white one lived there in a castle made of ice. Matt looked pained, like he took the lonely thought personally. Mello asked to talk to the redhead alone.

They stood off to the side as Mail cooked some of the food they'd brought with them.

As tempted as Mello was to accuse Matt of knowing who the white one was, he knew it was extremely possible that whatever erased his memories erased Matt's as well. So, instead, he approached with a question. "Do you remember there being a little boy at the orphanage?"

Matt gave him a look like he'd just lost ninety percent of all of his brain cells. "Mel," he offered in a caring voice, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "There were a lot of little boys at the orphanage."

Mello shook his head, realizing how dumb the question had sounded. "I mean," he went on, trying to explain although he wasn't sure what to say. "…Do you remember that time that L took me swimming?"

"Yeah," Matt responded with a nod.

"Did he take anyone else with?"

Matt looked torn. Mello assumed that he was thinking it over, trying to remember – little did he know that Matt was actually debating if he should tell the truth or not. But he trusted Matt, so he didn't doubt him. Matt just didn't know, he didn't know anything.

"Yeah," Matt finally said.

Mello frowned, eyes wandering off. "I knew it…"

"But you can't remember?" Matt offered.

Mello looked at him. "You…?"

"I'm sorry," Matt offered, before he turned and walked back over to the camp. Mello knew he wasn't going to get any more out of the redhead – in fact he would be surprised if Matt spoke to him again by the time they reached the white one. The truth would come out on its own, Mello knew that for a fact… but why was Matt afraid of that? Something was up and he had a feeling he would be smacking his friend around by the end of it.

They laid out their bedding and went to rest. Mail offered to take watch, insisting that he couldn't sleep much when he went on journeys anyway. Mello hadn't protested although he was pretty sure he wasn't going to be getting much sleep, either.

He laid on his bed staring up at the stars, instead. If the universe was infinite and there were infinite realities, then just how many people were there in existence? Infinite, probably. Somewhere around there. And just how many versions of him were there? How many Matts, how many Nexts? How many 'white one's…?

'Mello.'

He jumped. There was that voice again – that flood of loneliness taking over his senses. He sat up, grabbing his head in his hands. His nose was on fire, his ears ringing… he could see white threads, entwining with black.

'Mello.'

"Who are you?" He asked out-loud, before realizing that whatever this was, it probably was going on inside of his head. 'Who are you?' He thought, this time.

A flash of excitement, then happiness. A smile- he couldn't see but he knew there was a smile… a rare smile, one that he wanted to savor and kiss and oh god, oh god, what was going _on_!?

'Mello, you're in danger.'

'I'm in danger?' He questioned, confused. Mail was looking at him oddly and Matt had woken up, rubbing at his eyes.

'There's a group of scouts following the three of you,' the voice went on. 'They were following Next before, but they split up when you left the castle.'

'Next? Who is following Next?' Mello asked. What was this voice talking about?

'A group from Marihanda. They think you are Mihael. You need to get out of there, now.'

'Wha-'

'NOW.'

Mello jumped as the calm voice suddenly yelled into his mind, waves of eager worry biting into his very being. And, just as he did, an arrow flew by, a few inches in front of his face, before sticking into a nearby tree, still shaking from the force.

"Shit!" Matt yelled.

Then they were surrounded. 'A group of scouts' had apparently meant ten or fifteen guys, all with very deadly looking bows and very sharp looking arrows.

"Marihanda," Mail breathed.

"The shit?" Matt questioned, scrambling to stand.

"Ask the white one what we are to do," Mail told Mello.

"Huh?" Mello offered.

"Do it!" Mail snapped.

'Um… white one?' Mello tried, although he could feel the threads undoing themselves once more. 'Hello? Are you there?'

No answer.

"Nothing," Mello informed.

"Great," Mail huffed, taking a step back as the scouts began to close in.

Then, suddenly, 'All of you, move to the left.'

'What?' Mello asked, but he obeyed, grabbing Mail and Matt and dragging them to the left.

Matt yelped out and stumbled back into Mello, narrowly avoiding as a huge chunk of earth beneath their feet suddenly rose up, sending the three or so scouts on top of it flying through the air.

"Holy shit," Mello gasped.

The next few were taken out by what looked like a huge blizzard. A few more fell victim to flames that appeared out of nowhere. The last couple were suddenly surrounded by water and dragged backward, through the forest.

"What the fuck was that?" Matt asked.

"The white one," Mail told him.

"He's here?" Matt asked, looking around them.

Mail shook his head, looking at Mello. "The dark one is his soul mate. My guess is that he used their connection to cast magic."

Matt looked at Mello in surprise. "You can do that…?"

"Apparently," Mail hummed.

Matt fell quiet after that.

"We need to go," Mail said, pulling Matt up off the ground. "Its possible that those aren't the last of them. We can rest once we're at the castle."

"Okay," Matt confirmed. Mello didn't say anything, but he began to pack up his stuff.

The connection between he and the white one had gone dead, once more. And it felt like a part of him was missing.

--

"Piper is going home, correct?"

Piper nodded, putting down the circlet she had been looking at. She was in Next and Mihael's room, looking through all of his things, while he got ready for bed.

"Say hello to Linda for me?" Next requested, pulling on a long shirt to sleep in.

"I will," She confirmed, turning around.

Next watched her for a few moments before smiling. He took a seat on the large bed, pulling one knee up to his chest. "I'm glad to have met Piper. Even though Piper isn't technically my daughter, its close enough that I feel a connection."

Piper smiled too, taking a seat next to him on the bed. "I never actually met my father… you're the closest thing I've met."

"Why doesn't Piper stay?" Next asked. "Piper can meet the white one… he is more like Piper's father then I am. They even have the same name."

"My mom would kill me," Piper informed, shaking her head. "Besides… I kind of like the illusion I have of him. I don't want to break it."

"I understand," Next said with a nod. He then hummed, curling his hair around his fingertips. "Can I tell Piper a secret?"

"Sure, go ahead," she answered.

He smiled. "I'm more like Near then you think."

--

It was about a day and a half into the two-day ride that they ran into him. Riding along, zipping past them in all his hurry. Mail had to turn around and try to catch up to him, calling out his name. Mello just stopped his horse and watched from a distance, wondering if this meant he would have to make it the rest of the way to the white one with just Matt.

"Mihael!" Mail finally managed to catch the man and they both slowed to a stop just within Mello's hearing range.

"Heh," Matt scoffed, nudging Mello in the shoulder. "You've got blue bangs, dude."

"You've got a tail," Mello retorted.

"Shut the fuck up," Matt whined.

"Mail, what are you doing here?" Mihael asked and Mello realized Matt was correct… although he looked like a carbon copy of Mello, his bangs and a few of the longer strands of his hair were dyed dark blue. He also held himself with a confidence Mello had never had. It was obvious he was some sort of royalty, if not by the clothes then by the air he held around himself.

"I've come to retrieve you, my lord," Mail responded. "Next has returned. He is in the castle, waiting for you, as we speak."

"He is safe?" Mihael asked.

"Why wouldn't he be?" Mail questioned.

"The white one told me there were scouts after him," Mihael explained.

Mail glanced toward Mello and Matt and Mihael's eyes followed him. The king looked surprised to see himself sitting on a horse twenty or so feet away.

"A group of scouts attacked us last night," Mail explained. "The white one saved us."

"The-" Mihael breathed, seemingly unable to say anything more. He just sort of sat there, in shock.

"As long as he's in the castle, Next will be safe," Mail told the king, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But your choice is up to you, my friend. As for me, I promised to take these two to visit the white one."

"I will return home," Mihael said, still eyeing Mello carefully. "I wish to see that he is alright for myself. Not that I don't trust you, my friend, but-"

"Think nothing of it," Mail interrupted, removing his hand from Mihael's shoulder and turning his horse around. "I will see you in a few days. Have a swift and save journey, my good friend."

Then Mail was riding back toward them, urging them to follow.

With one careful look at each other, both Mello and Mihael headed in their own directions.

--

'Mello.'

He had been dozing off until he heard that voice again and felt the feeling of… something, creeping up on him. Love? No, that wasn't it… was it? Mello wouldn't know, he had never felt it before.

'What is it?' He questioned.

'Next has been captured by the Marihanda scouts.'

Mello almost choked in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Mail asked.

"The white one just told me that Next has been captured," Mello told him.

Mail scoffed. "Tell the white one to check his sources. There is no way Next could be captured while he is inside the castle."

'While Mail is correct,' The white one went on. Mello had no idea how he managed to hear his conversations, however… probably the same way he could tell the scouts were there. 'Next did not stay in the castle.'

"He says that Next didn't stay in the castle," Mello informed.

Mail was quiet for a few moments before he cursed below his breath and smacked himself in the forehead. "That stupid little…"

"So we have to head back?" Matt asked. "To save Next?"

"Mihael is already on his way there," Mail answered. "And besides, if he's already been kidnapped, there's not much more we can do. Lets just finish our journey… the castle isn't far now. Maybe an hour away."

"Are you sure?" Mello asked. Not that he really cared, he just didn't want to hear Mail whine about it later.

"Nope," Mail answered honestly. "Lets go."

--

Mail had been right about the castle being made of ice. Mello was a bit freaked out, looking up at the giant building that looked like it would melt under the sun – but as far as he could tell it wasn't melting in the least bit.

"Here we are," Mail said, lifting a hand to knock on the door.

"He lives in here?" Matt asked.

"I would assume since we traveled all this way to visit him and we're standing in front of this door, this is where he is," Mail responded.

Matt only snorted in a mix of distain and amusement.

Mail knocked three times before lowering his hand.

It took a few moments but finally the door opened, revealing a brunette in about his thirties, one that Matt and Mello knew instantly.

"Yagami Light!?" They both gasped in shock.

"Ah, the dark one is here," Light said with a small bow. "The white one has been expecting you. Please, follow me." He turned and headed off, up a flight of stairs.

"What the shit?" Matt asked Mello.

"Just go with it," Mello breathed, not sure what he was saying. He had _seen _Yagami Light die- had seen it with his own two eyes. Watched as the Shinigami wrote his name in the death note and as he breathed his last breath of life. Yet here he was, walking up the stairs, taking them to meet the white one.

Mello followed first, Matt and Mail trailing behind him.

Yagami lead them up to a room, opening the door. He stood, waiting for them to enter.

"You want me to trust you," Mello stated as if Light was the dumbest person in existence.

"We've never met," Light told him.

Mello gave a noise of distain but did not protest, knowing how possible it was (although just a day ago he wouldn't have believed) that they'd never met. Still, he couldn't help but feel hostile toward Yagami.

"This is the white one's room," Yagami told him. "He informed me that you were to meet him in here. He will only be a few moments. I will leave the door open so you do not feel trapped. Please, make yourselves comfortable." With that said, Yagami walked away, not looking back.

Eyeing Matt without saying anything, Mello stepped into the bedroom quietly.

"Wow," Matt stole the words right out of his mouth. The room was filled with toys of all sizes, from stuffed to metal, robotic (although they probably didn't have any working lights or anything, unless it was all magical) to cute and cuddly. The bed was large and made of light blues and whites where as the dresser and all the other wood in the room were all dark. It was nicely decorated although for some reason Mello found himself thinking that the white one probably didn't design the room himself.

"This is the room of the mirror king?" Mail questioned.

"It looks like the room of an eight year old," Mello mused.

"Actually," came a voice from behind them, catching their attention and causing them all to turn around. "It's the room of a twenty four year old."

As Mail gave a respectful half-bow and Matt choked out a surprised, "N-Near?" Mello stared quietly into the eyes of the man before him.

The white one.


	5. Facing reality

Chapter 05 – Facing reality

Chapter 05 – Facing reality

Nate River had been born to a nice mother in a small town in the middle of Taiwan. He had never known his father, nor did he know the father of his brother or sister. He'd always been quiet and had never really left his house. His mother, brother, sister, and the rest of his town had all died of a horribly contagious disease, one he happened to be immune to.

A family friend had tried to get him away from the city as it was being blown up, but he'd been taken down too. The man had given him a phone number and after figuring out how to work a phone for the first time in his life, Nate had called up L and wound up with the man who changed his life.

"Near is a good name," L had told him once, as he'd dropped him off at Wammy's. "Because you will always be near when people are saved." The name had also been the first two letters of his first name and the last two letters of his last name, mixed up a bit. It had been a good name, L was correct – it had made much more sense then any of his code names.

"Last is a code name of mine," he'd been told one night that he'd spent eating with L, just the two of them. "I think a good code name for you would be 'Next'."

He hadn't told anyone but somehow someone in the orphanage had found out and it had spread like wildfire. Kids were calling him 'Next' instead of Near for a few weeks. Eventually Mello had found out and had thrown a fit.

But that time eventually passed. Or so it did, as far as the white one could remember.

Next remembered it differently.

--

"You're the white one?" Mello asked.

Matt let out the breath he had been holding, looking back and forth between Mello and Near. He was silent for a few moments before he finally threw up his hands and exclaimed, "Are you telling me you don't remember him!?"

"No," Mello informed.

Matt gave him a desperate look before he turned to Near, defeated. "I fucked up, okay?! I didn't mean to, Near! I thought he would remember if he saw you- I didn't think it was going to turn out this way!"

"What?" Mello asked, staring at Matt with narrowed eyes. "What are you talking about, Matt?"

"I understand," Near offered with a small nod.

"You do?" Matt asked, ears perking up. "You're not mad?"

"He isn't, but I might just be when you explain what the fuck you did!" Mello yelled, grabbing the redhead's arm and shaking him lightly. "What are you talking about, 'I thought he would remember'?" His eyes widened and he glanced at Near for a few moments before finally breathing, "_You _are the reason I can't remember that kid from the orphanage…!"

"Oops?" Matt offered with a forced grin.

"_Mail Jeevas_!" Mello snapped.

"I regret ever telling you my real name," Matt hummed.

Mello grabbed hold of the front of his shirt and shook him. "What did you do!?"

"Hey!" Matt yelped, grabbing Mello's hands. "It was for your own good, Mel!"

"For my own good!?" Mello yelled. "You made me forget a part of my life and this was for my _own good_!?"

"Try a _huge _part of your life," Matt corrected. He squeaked when Mello shook him again. "_Yes_, it was for your own good! You can't remember it now but god Mel, you were really fucking depressed! You weren't eating or sleeping or shit like that. Man, you hadn't even showered in like a month! All you did was lay around all depressed, okay?! I had to do _something_ or you were gonna off yourself!"

"So buy me a fucking chocolate bar, don't _erase my memories_!"

"A chocolate bar wasn't gonna fix heartbreak, man!" Matt protested.

"Why didn't Matt just send Mello back?" Near asked, breaking the argument and causing both the older men to look at him. Mail hummed to himself in something like amusement. "Matt knew a jumper and had mirror king powers at the time. Why didn't he just send Mello back?"

While Mello glared angrily at Matt the redhead stared at the albino blankly. After a few moments of staring stupidly he said, "Because you told me not to!"

If Near was surprised he didn't show it. However he did hum quietly, "I see…"

Matt frowned.

"Mello should let Matt go," Near said, putting a hand on Mello's shoulder. The blonde tensed up.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Mello demanded.

Near sighed and removed his hand. He then addressed all three of them together, "I will have three rooms made up… I'm not sure if you know this already, Mail, but King Mihael was just here- he left to try and protect Next. Sadly, he was too late. He is still on his way home and he is safe." Mail was quiet, staring at Near silently. "Although I had previously told Mihael that I refused to help him with his war I will agree to helping return Next to his home."

"Thank you," Mail said, almost robotically.

"I will have someone sent to help you out," Near informed, before he spun and walked away.

Mello looked at Matt with a frown. "I was seriously in love with that guy?"

"I'm not so sure," Matt informed, shaking his head.

"Something is definitely amiss," Mail agreed.

"What do you mean?" Matt asked.

Mail shook his head. "Mihael has met the white one before and he told me that he's a Sylph. I don't know if you know what that is, but that man was no Sylph."

--

As far as back as Next could remember, the kids at the orphanage were still calling him 'Next'. That was when 'it' had happened.

Mello had thrown a fit that night and had appeared in his room to vent out his frustrations verbally at him.

He'd yelled for a little while, getting angrier and angrier as Next had ignored him. He probably would have started being violent if screaming hadn't caught their attention and the room hadn't suddenly burst into flames.

Next couldn't remember it happening, really. He just knew one second Mello was yelling at him and the next, the room was engulfed. He and Mello had pushed themselves up against a corner, away from the biggest parts of the fire- which, unfortunately, were blocking the door.

"We'll get out of here," Mello had promised. Next hadn't believed him, but he didn't have the heart to say anything.

The flame was already in the ceiling, pulling parts of it down on top of them. They'd managed to avoid it so far but sadly they hadn't been so lucky the entire time.

Mello was shaking. Next wanted to reach out and grab him but he didn't know the right way to do it, so he didn't. He just sat and waited… waited for _something_. Waited to be rescued, waited to be engulfed in flames, waited to be squashed by falling beam. He waited for what felt like hours but was probably only seconds.

Then the beam above their head finally gave way and began to fall.

Mello screamed and Next felt the world around him pull at his stomach. He thought maybe that was what it felt like to die but when his body hit concrete, suddenly, he knew that wasn't it.

It was dark. He wasn't in a burning room anymore- and this wasn't the afterlife because he didn't believed in such a thing. It looked like a dark alley in the middle of a town- he could see lights at each end but they were dimming as his head spun and his eyes drooped.

And the only thing he could think as he passed out was that he wished he had been brave enough to reach out and hold Mello.

--

Truth be told, Matt had it figured out a while ago. But after meeting Near, it was one hundred percent clear – it wasn't hard to figure out, anyway. He was, after all, third best and while that wasn't as good as first or second that still ruled out a billion other kids that he was better then.

He had to wonder, though, why Near would do such a thing – didn't he want to see Mello again? Although, he supposed, if Near had wanted to see him he wouldn't have told Matt not to send Mello back.

Maybe Near was just avoiding the problem. It wouldn't be surprising, the kid had never liked following through with anything. He'd always preferred to sit in the background and watch others work.

But Near couldn't avoid this forever because there was no way Matt was going to take Mello back now, not with the blonde knowing what he knew. He couldn't erase his memories again, it would fuck with Mello's head… and Matt had enough of the guilt, anyway.

And that was why he was wandering Near's castle, looking for the albino. Because if Near was going to confront it, it might as well be now.

--

Next had been pretty certain when he awoke that he was in hell. He didn't know why he would be in hell, considering he was just a little kid and he hadn't done anything wrong – but there was no other place he could have been.

Because he had awoken in a dungeon.

If he had awoken in hell then the devil had walked in a few moments later.

He'd been a somewhat older man, obviously having experienced life because he had the same look in his eyes that L had – except this guy's was in a darker and more horrible way. L was gentle and comfortable, where as this guy gave Next the creeps right off the bat.

There had been a good reason for that, too.

A brothel and a sex slave ring. Slavery was illegal of course, but that had never stopped criminals. He supposed musing about how illegal or morally wrong something was didn't stop the fact that it was happening to you, but it certainly kept your mind busy with something else while you denied the fact that something so bad could be going on.

He'd come up with a hundred different scenarios. Times where he hadn't been caught in the fire, what would have happened if he had gone to the bathroom… what life might have been like if he had chosen to hold Mello instead of sit off to the side, not knowing what to do. But nothing ever changed and he had to accept that he was stuck here, wherever this place was, for the rest of his (probably very short) life.

After a while he came to learn that this place was not his home. He was, in fact, in a completely different reality – and while it seemed impossible, he wasn't one to ignore what was right in front of him. The men that came in often complained about the king and how 'Slavery was legal in Marihanda'. That lead Next to believe that wherever they were, it was not Marihanda.

He supposed he was lucky because at least there was a small chance that this business would someday be shut down – But if it was, what then? He had nowhere to go… and maybe that was why he never tried to run away.

--

When Matt finally caught up to Near he knew he had the right one. Because, while he didn't know what a Sylph was, it was obvious by the caught-off-guard look the young man gave him that he had the right one.

"Why are you avoiding this?" Matt asked, although there was a billion other things he wanted to say. _Why did you send a fake to meet us? Why didn't you let me bring Mello back to you? What are you so afraid of? _And so on… he figured he'd just ask the general question that covered them all, instead.

Near just frowned.

--

"You're a lucky little boy."

Next didn't consider himself a lucky little boy, but he had learned long ago not to contradict anything the man said.

"Ask me why," he demanded.

"Why?" Next asked automatically.

"Because you," the man went on, shoving a finger so close to Next's face that he felt the urge to bite it off, but refrained. "Happen to be the soul mate of the Prince."

Next didn't ask. He didn't believe in soul mates, but then again he had never believed in alternative realities and that hadn't gotten him very far. So, instead, he just sat there and waited for the man to explain.

"That means, my little friend," he went on and Next resisted the urge to tell him they weren't friends. "That you're going to fetch me a very large sum."

"And that makes me lucky?" Next asked.

The man laughed. "No, kid. The thing that makes you lucky is that the king and the prince are the nicest sons of bitches you could ever get sold to. You'll never have to whore yourself off again."

The guy was right, in the end. Next was a lucky little boy.

--

"He already lost you once, Near. Technically, twice. Don't make him lose you again."

Near looked away, pulling the arms off of a toy in his hands. "Matt figured it out faster then I thought he would," he admitted.

Matt sighed. "I'm not here to gloat, I don't give a shit. I want you to face Mello."

In truth, he had figured it out quicker then even he'd expected. But something about the air Next put off had told him the boy was different.

Maybe it what he'd said after Matt had almost run him over, right before he'd passed out.

_Please tell me I'm not back._

--

"I'm not sure what you've heard, but I don't buy slaves."

Next hadn't expected that. He supposed he'd had tunnel vision, thinking every man that spotted him wanted nothing more then to use him and move on. Then again, considering all of the men who spotted him were walking into a brothel, he supposed this wasn't far from the truth. The King, however, looked at him with sympathetic eyes, ones that reminded him of Roger.

"This isn't just any slave," the man began, but was cut off.

"I could have you arrested for slavery," the King told him.

"And risk losing this jewel?" The Man questioned with a slimy smile. He then gestured to Next and told the King in the most self-assured voice Next could remember hearing, "This boy happens to be the soul mate of your son."

The King looked at him in surprise for a few moments before his eyes finally fell on Next. He leaned over to the guard beside him and whispered a few words. The guard motioned to the man next to him, who left quickly.

He returned a few moments later with a young girl in tow.

She looked at Next before her eyes moved above him, as if following some invisible line. She left the room, following this line, and was gone for only a few moments before returning and giving the King one quick nod.

The King gave the man a defeated look and asked, "How much?"

--

"I know you hate facing stuff, Near," Matt went on, laying a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "But you love him!"

"That's exactly why," Near breathed, voice rigged with more emotion then Matt could ever remember it having.

"Look, Near," Matt breathed, moving up his other hand so both were on Near's shoulders and they were facing each other straight on. "I don't know you all that well and I can't say I have any idea what you've been through. In my world we barely spoke and you've been dead six years – but I'm pretty damn sure this is probably the hardest thing you're ever going to have to deal with. But you know what?" He made sure their eyes were locked as he spoke slowly and honestly. "If you avoid this now and you let him go back home again you're going to regret it until the day you die."

Near frowned at him for a few moments more before he finally looked down and mumbled, defeated, "Matt is right."

Matt smiled. "Of course I am."

--

Next hadn't known what to think. One moment he was before the king and the next he was being dressed in some fancy purple outfit (he'd never liked wearing anything other then white but he didn't argue, not anymore) and seated at a very long table with way too many guests.

Food that he didn't dare touch was put in front of him and he barely managed to sit through the meal without throwing up. This was the third time he'd been thrown into a world he didn't know or understand and frankly, at twelve, he thought that was about three times too many.

After the party guests had split up to do their own thing he wandered out into the garden and found a bench to sit on. He was there maybe half an hour before someone finally approached him.

"Hi," said a voice he almost knew but it was much too grown up.

But as he looked up a pair of green-blue eyes and a chopped blonde haircut confirmed what his ears had thought they heard. There he stood in all his glory, smiling nervously and looking at Next as if they'd never met before.

"I'm Mihael," Mello had said, holding out his hand.

And all Next could do was stare.

--

"I have to ask Matt something," Near said out of the blue as they walked along the long, icy hallways.

"Shoot, my good man," Matt responded, inwardly musing to himself all of the good thoughts about how Near had grown into an adult and how he didn't look like an eight year old anymore.

Near winced, giving Matt a desperate look that the redhead didn't understand but knew meant he had touched some sort of soft spot. (Near was quietly thinking to himself how horrible that word sounded coming from Matt's lips, considering the last time they had seen each other the redhead was being wheeled away after being shot to death.)

"Are you real?" Near questioned.

"What?" Matt asked.

"I'm about 65 certain that you are merely a delusion telling me what I already know to get me to face my own fears," Near informed.

"That's a load of shit," Matt responded. "If I were a delusion I wouldn't have ears and a tail."

"Touché," Near nodded.

--

He wasn't Mello.

That much was obvious. They looked alike, they probably had the same name (although Next couldn't tell) and they even smelled the same, but this wasn't Mello. As far as Mihael knew they'd never met and Next hadn't beaten or tied with him on every test since he'd come to Wammy's. The guy didn't even know what Wammy's was. He probably didn't know who L was or who Matt was, who Linda was or who Roger was – he just smiled at Next and laughed when he got nervous, offered him something akin to friendship and drove him to insanity when he was upset.

He wasn't Mello.

But Next was perfectly content to hold onto him and never let go.

He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice.

--

Near wasn't about to make the same mistake twice, either. Matt wasn't third best for nothing – he was smart enough to be second best and perhaps first and Near wasn't about to deny that fact. If he applied himself like he did in the current situation he could prove to surpass perhaps L himself – and he knew the redhead was right. He would regret it… hell, he already had, once.

So, swallowing nervously, he followed Matt as the redhead knocked on Mello's door and stepped in, ready to face the blonde for the first time in two years.


	6. If you mean it, I'll believe it

Chapter 06 – If you mean it, I'll believe it

The first thing that went through Mello's head as the White One walked through his bedroom door was that the kid had a funky marking on his forehead.

The second was that he never wanted to let Near go again.

--

_Its my win, Near_. Those were the last words Near had heard. Yagami had prepared a speech, had laughed it out, by Near had already been dead. It was a quick death. The other SPK members and the Japanese police had all died slowly but for Near it had been quick, a simple matter of his heart giving out and then stopping.

Mello hadn't known if he had liked it better this way or not.

--

_Mello is dead_, Near had said matter-of-factly four years later, standing before him in this strange new place in the middle of a crowded street. He'd sounded just about as shocked as Mello had felt. _I'm not dead, you're dead_, Mello had responded. And Near, in all of his glory, had proved to be the same person that Mello could have sworn had died by saying, _I'm obviously not dead_, Then Mello had proved that he had stayed just as much the same by saying, _I'm obviously not either_.

Their journey had begun.

--

_He hates me, I don't hate him_, Near was so convincing with his words that Mello would have believed him if he hadn't already known the truth. Near had told him he didn't hate him but at the time Mello had always assumed it was because Near didn't give enough of a shit to waste an emotion like hate on him.

_I'm not good enough for you to hate_? Mello had asked, but he had been ignored.

--

_I'll help you pansies fight your war_, Mello had agreed because he wanted nothing more then to go back home and pretend like this had never happened, even if it meant he had to work alongside Near. Four years ago he would have told himself that he was insane and that he should just find another way home – four years later his curious side smacked him across the head and told him to take a second whiff of that awful smell because he wanted to know exactly what it was.

--

_Genuis_. Near had said after shooting the first creature in the head had gone horribly wrong.

_Shut the fuck up_. Mello had replied, at the time much too angry to realize that Near had cracked a joke.

--

_I don't know how to do any of that yet, I haven't learned it_! Near had yelled after Mello had demanded he cast magic at the charging creature.

_You're useless_! Mello had accused.

_Mello is the one who shot at it_! Near accused in return.

And, had the creature not chosen that time to rear back and attack, Mello might have realized that Near was fighting back for the first time.

--

_I'm smart_, Near had admitted with no amount of modesty. _But I am not wonderful and I am most definitely not perfect_.

That was when Mello realized that Near had grown up.

--

_There's only one bed_, Mello had pointed out as if Near was blind and could not see for himself.

_It's big enough for two_, Near had responded as if the bed was the size of the entire room.

_I'm not sharing a bed for you_, Mello had growled as if doing so would be worse then Chinese water torture.

_Then sleep on the floor_, Near had hummed as if there was an extra bed on the floor with a sign that read, 'Sleep on me!'

_I'm not sleeping on the floor, either! _Mello had protested as if sleeping on the floor would give him some incurable disease.

_Then sleep outside_? Near had offered as if Mello would be more keen to the idea of sleeping out in the cold then sleeping on the floor, which might give him some incurable disease.

_Why don't you sleep on the floor or outside and I sleep on the bed_? Mello had asked as if Near was being completely unreasonable.

_Because Mello is the one who has issues with sharing a bed_, Near had said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

--

_Take your robes off_, Mello had ordered so suddenly that Near had done a double take.

_What_? Near had asked rather stupidly.

Mello had rolled his eyes and pointed out, _If you sit around in soaked clothes you're going to get sick. Take them off and let them dry._

_Oh, right, _Near had replied and as he'd slipped his clothes off all Mello could think was that Near looked kind of cute when he was stupid.

But he still hated him.

--

_Thank you, Mello_, Near had said and Mello had fallen silent.

Because he knew it wasn't a dream, then. Because in all of the dreams he had about beating Near, never once did Near ever say thank you, especially for something so simple.

--

_Mello is right_, Near had said after a short argument.

After Mello questioned him he had just said, _I have my reasons_.

And, while Mello shouldn't have cared, he demanded, _You can't just go and say something like that then tell me 'I have my reasons'! I want to know!_

_I'll tell Mello later_, Near had responded with no intention of ever telling him.

And Mello had just said _I hate you! You're impossible! _Because he didn't want to admit that there was something about Near that he cared enough to want to know.

--

_It tastes like chocolate_, Mello had said, more surprised that Near had bothered to think of him then by the fact that this weird thing tasted just like the thing he was addicted to.

_I tried it earlier and thought of Mello_, Near had explained.

Mello didn't have it in him to say that when he'd spotted a store with toys in it as they'd walked into town, he'd thought of Near too.

--

When he'd wrapped the necklace around Near's neck, he didn't know what he was doing. So he offered up a lame excuse. Something about it looking good with Near's outfit or protecting him, the first thing that came to his mind, really.

What he really wanted to say was that he was confused and his mind was clouded.

He hated himself for wanting to admit weakness to Near. And he hated Near for making him feel weak.

But maybe, just maybe, he didn't hate Near as much as he thought he did.

--

_You're impossible_, Mello had said.

_Mello has told me_, Near had replied.

_And an asshole_, Mello had continued.

_That as well_, Near hadn't missed a heartbeat.

_Plus, really annoying, _Mello had begun to plan.

_And that_, Near had deadpanned.

_And kind of cute when you're asleep_.

Near had sputtered in surprise and Mello had wondered why he was so off.

He also wondered if he was being honest about the cute thing or not.

--

(_Our daughter, Piper, will be four next June_, Near had said. Mello couldn't help but think of the irony, now, as he realized that Piper would have indeed been four around that time and that her birthday was probably in June.

Or maybe it wasn't irony)

--

Glace had reminded him of Near only because of the obsession with toys and it was then that Mello had realized that he was looking for reasons to be reminded of Near.

But he still hated him.

Right?

--

As Mello fell into the river he was surprised to find himself wondering if Near would miss him.

Then he was mad because his last thoughts were of Near.

--

Mail had been right when he'd said they had met before, because it was Mail who pulled him out of the river and onto a horse, then over to thief town.

God only knew why Mail knew where thief town was, but Mello supposed he shouldn't question small favors.

He didn't know why he didn't mention having seen Matt to Near.

He also didn't know why his first thought when waking up had been if Near was alright.

But he still hated him.

--

_Near_? Mello had whispered in shock as Near had thrown his arms around him, appearing suddenly in a small tavern in thief town, like the bright light that was suddenly switched on at the end of a very long tunnel.

_I thought you were gone_, Near had said with such emotion that all Mello could do was say that they should talk in his room.

They didn't get much talking done, though. Just a few words before they were suddenly sprawled in the bed with no clothes on.

But he still hated-

Oh, fuck it.

--

_You were a virgin, weren't you_, Mello had said and then instantly regretted it. Near's silence had been an answer on its own.

--

_I was dying_, Near had explained after Mello had asked again.

Mello hadn't expected that and had been caught off guard. _Dying_? He'd sputtered.

_Dying_, Near had repeated.

And after Near had explained that he was dying of a brain tumor, that he had been told he was going to die just before he'd come here, all Mello could stupidly say was, _You were dying_?

--

_Near… what happened last night… it was-_

_Just sex, no romantic attachments, and not going to happen again._

And as Near walked out all Mello could do was realize that he hated himself.

--

_I can't do this without you, you know_.

As he slipped in and out of it he felt a sense of peace because Near was there.

That might have bothered him at some point, but what really bothered him was the fact that it didn't bother him at all.

--

_Did you just-_

_-Talk to me in my mind_?

Things were getting more fucked up then Mello would have ever imagined.

--

_But you love him anyway_.

Mello had to tell himself that it was the sudden way Kenny had said the words that made him pause in shock. That it wasn't the fact that he was questioning if the mirror king was, in fact, telling the truth.

_I don't love him_, Mello had replied, speaking so firmly that he didn't believe a word he was saying.

Kenny had smiled. _I know_.

_Then why_? Mello had asked.

He wasn't ready for the answer, but he got it anyway. _You don't love him now_.

The hidden words hung in the air.

'But that doesn't mean you wont, someday.'

It was the fact that Mello knew Kenny was right that made it so much worse.

--

(_If I was a cat_, Matt had said so randomly one day that Mello couldn't help but laugh at the memory. _I would spend all of my time licking my own balls._

_If you were a cat_, Mello had responded without a hitch. _You would be fixed_.)

--

_Considering he is your companion and soul m_- LiSen had begun and Mello had cut him off with,

_Don't say those words for the love of god_.

Because he didn't want to hear it.

Because he wanted to hear it more then anything else.

--

_What if I want to stab Near_? Mello had asked LiSen, holding up the magical daggers in question.

_Why would you want to_? LiSen had asked, staring at him as if he were insane.

_Because I hate him_, Mello had responded.

He pretended as if he didn't have to force the words out.

He also pretended not to care as Near got up and left.

--

_Next thing you know if I die I'm going to hear a voice ask me if I want to continue or not_, Mello had said sarcastically.

_Maybe if you say no you can go home_, Near had joked.

And Mello had answered, _I don't want to go home yet _without thinking.

--

_If this is a dream then I don't want to wake up_.

What scared Mello the most was that he didn't want to, either.

--

_I didn't think Mello cared_, Near had said after a few more Mirror kings, one more night of extremely good sex, and a frustrating fight.

And Mello, angry and in denial, had quickly gone to snap, 'Well I don't', only to find himself stopping halfway through the words.

_You what_? Near asked after a few moments of silence.

_I don't know_, Mello finally admitted.

Then Near dared to ask, _How does Mello feel about me?_

And Mello admitted, again, _I don't know_.

--

_They're after me_, Near had said and all Mello could think was, 'I can't let them get you because I can't be without you.'

--

_If they catch you, they will torture you_, Mello had told him.

_If it means Mello can get away safely I'm willing to take the chance_, Near had replied.

The only thing Mello could do was hit him.

--

As Holand grabbed hold of Near and dragged him off, Mello felt his heart break.

--

_I love you too_, Mello finally admitted.

--

The next thing he knew, Near was kissing him. Not in a memory, but in real life- here, standing in front of Matt, two years later.

"I'm sorry," Near said once the need for air was bad enough that they had to break away.

And before Mello could tell Matt to leave the redhead was already gone.

--

"So let me get this straight," Mello hummed, drumming his painted fingernails against his lips in thought. "Next isn't from this reality and the double you had is the actual Near from this time?"

"He goes by Nate," Near informed.

"And you're currently seeing L standing around giving you advice that you, quote, 'Already know and are too stubborn to follow'?"

"I told him that all advice was that way."

"And these past two years you've been living with Yagami?"

"Amongst other people."

"And all this time we could have been screwing like rabbits but weren't because you were too stubborn and afraid of facing reality?"

Near frowned. "Mello doesn't have to put it so harsh."

Mello shook his head. "I wouldn't be me if I didn't." He moved away from the window and flopped down on the bed, next to Near. "Wait- so if Next isn't from this reality, he isn't really Mihael's soul mate, is he?"

"Technically he is," Near informed. "Well, if Mello wants to get extremely technical- so am I, and so is Nate. Which means you are also Nate's soul mate, as well as Next's."

"Woah," Mello breathed. (In the back of his head he could hear Matt saying, 'Soul mate orgy!')

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter so long as they love each other," Mello hummed. "Or some shit like that."

"I don't think Nate would fall in love with Mihael," Near mused. "He's already got Linda."

"Oh shit!" Mello yelped, sitting up and staring at Near. "I forgot- you have a kid! Wait, you already knew?"

"Piper exists in this world, as well," Near informed, pulling Mello back down beside him.

"Great, I just can't get rid of the little brat," Mello groaned. He then realized what Near had said and gave the boy a weird look. "Nate is with Linda?"

"Actually, no," Near hummed. "Linda died a while ago."

"Oh." After a few moments of silence, Mello said, "Its weird talking about these people like they're not actually us."

"It is," Near agreed.

Sighing, Mello moved to get up, pulling himself out of Near's arms. "As much as I'd love to lay here for you for the rest of the week, Next is kind of in need of our help."

Near moved to sit up, looking almost cocky. "Then Mello can stay as long as he wants because Next is fine."

Mello stared at him. "What are you talking about? You told me he got kidnapped by the same guys who attacked us!"

"I was trying to get you to turn back," Near said, honestly.

Mello groaned and threw his arms up. "I'm going to kill you!"

Near smiled. "I can't die."

Mello flopped down onto the bed, Next to Near. "Well, I'd better let the Matts know, then… well, okay, it can wait." He curled up around the pillow, not moving when Near laid down close to him.

After a few moments of silence, Mello asked, "Near?"

"Hm?" Near hummed.

Mello's face was serious. "I'm not going home this time."

Near smiled again. "I wouldn't let Mello, anyway."

--

**Author notes**: Hey guys... sorry to disappoint but for now this is going to be the end of this story. I'm going through a bit of a writers block right now and no matter how hard I try, I just can't figure out where this story should go.

Sorry.


	7. Of Comas and Memories

**Dream of Mirror 02- Corners of Reality**

**Ice Puppet**

This chapter is dedicated to Gakusangi, who was the reason I managed to work on this story.

**authors notes: **I decided to try and continue this story after a bout of insperation last night. I can't promise anything but I will try my best!

**Chapter 07 - of Comas and memories**

Mello yawned and stretched out, instinctively reaching for the other half of the large bed and, upon finding no one there, sitting up with a frown.

He found Near across the room, floating in that creepy way Sylphs did, in a 'thinking' pose. The Mirror King was obviously lost in thought although he glanced toward Mello when the blonde sat up.

"Mello is real, right?" He questioned.

Mello stared. "The fuck?" He asked.

"I know L is not real," Near explained, switching from a 'sitting' to a 'standing' position although he was still floating. He leaned back, stretching to get comfortable, before he motioned gracefully across the room to an empty chair. "I know L is not there. However, I see him as clearly as I see Mello and I hear him just as clearly, as well. I know L is not there but to me it feels as if he is. I am afraid Mello might not be real, as well."

"You're seeing things?" Mello questioned, not really liking the worried tone that his voice over took as he climbed out of bed and walked over (completely naked) to Near. "Is this about what Matt said? About how one person cannot completely handle all ten powers at once?"

"Mello is correct," Near confirmed with a nod.

"If you knew that, why didn't you just ask me to stay?" Mello asked, putting a hand on Near's cheek before he grabbed the albino's shoulders and shook him, roughly. "Damnit, you bastard! You always know how to drive me nuts, don't you!? Fuck, Near! I would have stayed if you had explained to me what was going on! You didn't have to do what you did!"

"I- Wanted- To- Make- Mello- Happy-" Near attempted to answer through the shakes, getting dizzy. When Mello stopped he put a hand to his head and attempted to not fall over. "I know Mello is real, now. When I dreamed of Mello he was never so cruel."

"The fuck I'm not cruel when you're being an idiot!" Mello snapped. "If you wanted to make me happy all you had to do was tell me the truth! I just wanted to be with you- I just _want _to be with you, Near! And god, do you have _any _idea how weird that sounds, coming from me, even after all these years?! Fuck, Near!" He groaned and threw his hands up, storming away from the Slyph dramatically. "You sacrificed all this shit for me, you made yourself _crazy _and what did I do? I _forgot _you!"

"It wasn't Mello's fault," Near reminded, placing a hand on Mello's shoulder. "Matt thought it was best- _I _thought it was best."

"You thought wrong," Mello informed.

"I do that sometimes, you know," Near told him with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm starting to realize that," Mello said sarcastically. He then sighed and sat down on the bed, pulling his pants on. "I'm real, Near. I'm really here. You're not dreaming like you are with- wait, you're seeing _L_? What's he saying?"

"L is telling me things I already know," Near informed. "But I am too stubborn to listen to."

"Sounds like L," Mello hummed. "Why are you seeing him, of all people?"

"It's not just L," Near explained, moving back into a seated position. "It's also Yagami- Matsuda, Linder, Rester, Giovanni, Linda, Matt… Mello. But it is mostly L."

"Linda?"

"Linda. From when Linda was a child."

"Weird." Mello shook his head, before asking, "What's with the floating? I thought you hated that."

"It's comfortable," Near explained, looking down at himself. "And I have gotten used to it over the years."

"It's kind of creepy," Mello told him.

"Good," Near retorted.

Mello pulled on his shirt before asking, "Aside from the crazies, how have you been? I haven't really gotten a chance to ask since we kind of jumped at it after I got my memories back."

Near cleared his throat. "Well… These worlds are at war, I'm facing a crisis because with three of me here this world is slowly crumbling, I'm going 'crazy', as you said, and Holand is attempting to destroy the world, still."

Mello paled. "Didn't we _kill _Holand?"

"Did I forget to mention?" Near asked innocently. "She's from a different reality, so she can't die."

Mello glared at him. "Yes, you failed to mention that little detail, _darling_."

Near smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Woops."

"So the world is falling apart because You, Next, and Nate are all here," Mello began, ticking off the bad news on his fingers. "Holand is still around and she wants the world to fall apart- no doubt her plan is to get a jumper, go steal _another _Near from another reality and bring him here to cause this world to collapse- you're seeing people, and these countries are trying to blow each other up." He sighed and looked at Near. "Anything _else _you've failed to mention?"

Near hummed for a moment before offering, "I haven't been sleeping."

"You're turning into L," Mello commented.

"Also," Near went on. "I'm dying."

Mello paled. "_What_."

"These powers are killing my body," Near informed. "But since I can't die, they'll just continue to kill me until I fall into a coma and never awaken. I've already passed out a few times from them and each time I've fallen asleep for more and more time. A half hour, a hour, a few hours- it will be forever, eventually."

Mello jumped up and grabbed hold of him, eyes wide. "Don't tell me that! You need to find a way to get rid of these powers, Near, before they _kill _you!"

"I can't," Near explained. "I have to wait for the-"

"_Fuck _the new recruits!" Mello squeaked. "Near, I don't give a shit if you kill off an entire country to save yourself, just fucking _do it_! I can't lose you again!"

Near sighed and wrapped his arms around the blonde, pulling him into an awkward hug. "I can't do that."

"Why the hell not?!"

"These are my people and I am the people's Mirror King. I cannot sacrifice a single life to save my own, let alone ten of them. I have to wait, Mello. I can hold out that long, I am strong enough. I have to wait for the next in line to appear."

"How will you know?" Mello questioned, burring his face into Near's hair. "How will you know when they appear?"

"I have the mirrors to tell me," Near told him. "They will appear in the mirror when they are ready to gain their power. I check them three times a day."

"Fate hates me, I think," Mello commented, holding Near tightly.

"I think so too," Near agreed.

--

"Mihael!"

Mihael practically threw himself off of his horse and rushed to the front of the castle only to collide half way with a smaller body. Next crushed their lips together in a sweet kiss, pulling him close enough that it actually hurt. But the blonde didn't care at that moment- he was too busy enjoying the warmth of his love and the feeling of having him in his arms once more.

"Mihael will never believe what happened to me," Next was saying the next moment, face buried against Mihael's shoulder as he closed his eyes and inhaled the blonde's sent. "I went to another universe and I met another version of Mihaeland another version of Mail and-"

"I don't care," Mihael was rather blunt. "I'm just so glad that you're back that I don't even care."

Next smiled and kissed him again.

"Come," the albino said, taking his hand. "Let us get settled and Mihael can tell me all about the trip to see the mirror king- I want to hear all about it!"

"Less talking," Mihael responded, pulling the albino along as one of the stable boys grabbed his horse. "More kissing."

--

"You are _so _dead, mister."

Matt laughed nervously as his ears flattened and his tail lowered. Mello advanced quickly and he yelped, jumping a few feet back.

"Come on, I thought we settled this already!" Matt cried, throwing his arms up. "You and Near made nicey nicey- and _trust me_, I could hear you last night, boy is loud!- so you shouldn't be mad at me anymore!"

"I'm still mad at _both of you_!" Mello protested.

Just before he was about to advance and beat the shit out of his furry friend, Raito rushed into the room with a scared look on his face.

"Master Mello!" He cried, eyes wide.

"What is it, Yagami?" Mello asked, lowering his fist from its place right in front of Matt's face.

"Near is unconscious! I fear he has fallen into another coma!"

Mello paled and followed the brunette from the room, leaving a scared Matt to wonder what the fuck was going on.


	8. Different versions of the same thing

**Dream of Mirror 2; Corners of Reality**

**Ice-Puppet**

**Chapter 8; Different versions of the same thing**

**Enjoy!**

**--  
**

When Mihael awoke he was alone, which bothered him to no end. He had just gotten Next back and he didn't like not having his love at his side. And, because their connection was still so one-sided, he couldn't tell where his albino was at. He hated the fact that even after all these years Next felt their connection strongly and he didn't feel it at all.

It was enough to drive a man completely insane.

Crawling out from under the vast amount of blankets, Mihael found his clothes and quickly pulled them on. After he was dressed he stepped outside and into the hallway, immediately grabbing hold of the closest worker and asking, "Have you seen Next?"

"He's outside, sir," the woman answered with a warm smile. "Enjoying the breeze, I believe."

"Thank you, Amara," Mihael responded before stepping back into his room. He grabbed his coat and peaked out the window- sure enough, there was Next, sitting on a bench with his eyes closed and a smile on his face.

Next had always been obsessed with the fresh air. He preferred the outside to the inside, for some reason saying that he didn't like feeling like he was locked up. Mihael didn't know why his love felt this way… but he always had. He assumed it had to have something to do with the way Next grew up- which he knew absolutely nothing about. Next didn't bring it up and Mihael didn't ask, preferring to leave Next some sort of privacy in things that he didn't want to talk about. He didn't want to push the albino.

Mihael was so lost in thought that he didn't notice it at first. But after a few moments he realized that a woman was approaching Next- a woman he had never seen before. She wasn't really a _woman_, per say… she had wings on her back and her skin was blueish in color. Next didn't seem to notice her until she was right in front of him.

He heard the scream first before the woman threw her hand over Next's mouth. Mihael cursed to himself and burst from the room, knowing there was no way he would make it in time. He was correct, of course- by the time he got all the way down the stairs and out the side door of the castle, Next and the woman were both gone.

"Mihael!"

Mihael turned around and met the scared face of Mail, his own face a mirror image of the man's. The guards flanking Mail's sides all looked worried, as well.

"Next had been captured!" Mihael screamed.

Mail cursed and ran back to the castle, barking orders at his men as they followed him. "I want groups of four in all directions! She couldn't have gone far!"

Mihael thought quickly and cursed, following behind Mail. "It won't help!" He cried. The redhead looked at him in confusion. Mail pointed upward, toward the sky. "She _flew _off with him!"

Mail glanced out the doorway and up into the clouds before he too cursed under his breath.

There was nothing they could do.

--

Linda was drawing when Nate entered the room, looking worse for the wear as he stepped over and sat down next to her, not at all bothered by the fact that his wife floated next to him while he sat on the sofa.

Piper, or Obi as she preferred to be called, sensed a serious talk about to happen between her parents and gathered up her dolls, carrying them off to her room.

"What is wrong, darling?" Linda asked, putting her drawing pad on the table and turning to Nate.

"Near has fallen ill again," Nate told her, shaking his head. "Mello is with him now."

"Oh darling, I'm so sorry," Linda said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She shook her head and asked, "How long, this time?"

"He's been out of it nearly half an hour," Nate sighed. "I'm so worried."

Before anything else could be said a knock came on their door. Linda jumped up and floated over, opening up and giving a winning smile. "Hello, Matt."

"Hello, Linda," Matt greeted, stepping inside after he was offered, his tail wagging back and forth silently. "Would you mind if I talked to Nate for a bit?"

"Not at all. You two play nice, now," Linda giggled as she grabbed her notebook and floated from the room.

Nate stood up and approached Matt. "What's wrong?"

"There's something going on that I think you should know about," Matt began to explain. "Something that could put the future of this reality into jeopardy."

--

Mello couldn't believe this was happening. Near had told him about the coma spells he'd been having, but he didn't think it would be like this! Sure, he knew what a coma was, but it was completely different to know about something's definition and to have it happening to the person you love.

Near had been out almost forty five minutes. Raito had said it was much longer then the last time he'd fallen unconscious, which had been almost an hour.

Things were happening so fast. Suddenly he had all these memories back, suddenly he was in love with this guy who it felt like he barely knew, but at the same time he didn't want to live without. It was as if there were two parts of him- the part that remembered Near and the part that did not. They were both fighting for control of the situation and while the part that remembered was winning out, the part that did not was a constant in the back of his mind, telling him to just ditch this place and go back to his normal life.

But he would never leave Near. Not again.

_You don't even know this guy_! The other half would protest, angrily. _You've spent like what, a few weeks with him after you hadn't seen him in years? Just because some blue haired crossdresser tells you that you two are soul mates you're going to risk your life to live in this place? Come on, man, be reasonable!_

'Unreasonable is my middle name,' Mello thought to himself with a snort.

A scream somewhere down the hallway caught Mello's attention and he jumped up- it had sounded like Near but at the same time he knew it was different. Nate! Rushing from the room, Mello ran down the hallway at breakneck speed and slid in front of Nate's apartment, one that Near had build on for him after the other version of himself had agreed to move his family into the castle.

And there she was, in all her glory, completely together as if they hadn't killed her. Holand. She was approaching Matt who was hissing like a cat, standing protectively in front of Nate while Linda and Piper- _Obi_- watched on from the sidelines, scared for their loved one.

"You want him, you have to go through me first," Matt told her.

"Easy enough," Holand laughed.

"And me!" Mello told her, jumping in her way, standing next to Matt.

Holand stared for a moment before she started giggling evily. "Oh ho ho, so the dark one decides to join us! What a treat this is- too bad you don't have your powers anymore, huh dark one? You're just a normal human now, you can't beat me again."

"I know your plan," Mello informed. Matt and Nate both looked at him in confusion. "You're planning to capture all three of the Near's and then bring a fourth one here in order to destroy this reality completely."

"How the hell did you figure that out?" Matt asked.

"Near told me this world was unstable because there were too many versions of himself in it," Mello told him.

"Oh. Well, that's what I was trying to tell you, Nate," Matt told the albino, who still stood behind him.

"Oh," Nate said in response.

"So you figured out my plan, big deal," Holand laughed. "So what? You should be thinking about a way to stop me."

"Why would you want to destroy an entire reality?" Obi questioned matter-of-factly. "You'll be destroyed too."

"I know that, you ignorant child!" Holand snapped.

"If you're suicidal just kill yourself and get it over with, don't take an entire reality with you!" Obi protested.

"I _can't die_!" Holand shrieked.

"Well, shit, that explains a lot," Matt said.

Holand cried out in frustration and jumped forward, slamming roughly into Matt, sending him flying back with her on top of him. He yelped out in pain as she swung her claws and nicked him across the face, causing lines of blood to bubble up onto his skin. She then picked him up and threw him on top of Mello, who stumbled back and fell over from the sudden weight.

"You can't stop me!" Holand cried as she jumped forward and grabbed hold of Nate, who screamed out in protest.

"No!" Linda cried.

Holand spread her wings out and cast a quick magic ball across the room, breaking through the wall easily. She then took to the air and disappeared, Nate calling out something they couldn't make out.

"Shit," Mello stated before he realized and yelled it a second time. "SHIT! Matt, get off me!"

Matt climbed off of him, obviously still a bit dizzy from the fall he had taken. "Wha?"

"She's going after Near!" Mello cried, jumping up and bursting from the room.

He made it about half way down the hallway before he heard the sound of part of a wall exploding. She was in Near's room! He could hear Matt fall into step behind him as he ran as fast as he could- throwing open the door only to find Holand flying outside of Near's room, Nate kicking and screaming under one arm and Near's unconscious body under the other.

"NO!" Mello screeched.

Holand laughed and took flight, disappearing into the sky.

"NEAR!" Mello stumbled over and stared after her for a few moments before falling to his knees and slamming his hand into the ground. "DAMNIT, DAMNIT, DAMNIT!"

"Its okay," Matt told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"How is it okay, Matt!?" Mello snapped.

"She still needs a jumper to get that last person," Matt reminded.

Mello's eyes widened. "Kayen!" He suddenly said.

"What?" Matt asked.

"Aside from Obi, Kayen is the only other jumper I've seen in this reality, and Holand knows he's a jumper! We have to find Kayen!"

--

When Near awoke the world was fuzzy and he couldn't make out what was going on. His powers were jumbled and uncontrollable- he couldn't use them, not after awakening from a coma. As his vision began to clear he found himself staring up into two identical faces, ones that matched his own exactly, save for the differences in hairstyle and expression.

"Next?" He questioned first, his voice coming out as a slur. "Nate?"

"We were captured," Next explained as he helped Near to sit up, holding the Mirror King steady. "By a woman with wings."

"Holand," Near said her name as if it were a curse.

"That's what Mello and Matt said her name was," Nate agreed.

"What is going on?" Next asked Near.

Near glanced at his copy for a few moments before he explained, "Holand wants to destroy this reality and Holand is willing to take everyone down with her. Holand's plan is to capture is three and then use a Jumper to bring another version of Next, Nate, and myself to this reality. It would completely undo the world."

Next paled. "Because I am from a different world and because Near is from a different world…?"

"The world is falling apart slowly," Nate finished with a nod. "People are disappearing, trees, animals- slowly, at first. But soon it will be entire continents until everything is gone."

"Next," Near said as the longhaired boy paled. "We're going to get out of this."

"But then one of us has to leave," Next said, looking horrified. "Or this world will die."

Near nodded.

"I… I will do it," Next offered.

Nate frowned. "Next…"

"I don't belong here," Next told him. "Near can't leave and Nate belongs here- it has to be me."

Nate and Near didn't protest, but neither looked happy with the decision.

Near stood up and attempted to cast a flury of ice at the bars holding them, only to stumbled back and fall on his bum. Nate rushed over to him and Next frowned.

"I am still too weak," Near said.

"You will get stronger," Nate told him.

"It will take time," Near sighed. "I don't know if we have the luxury of time."

"Holand still has to find a jumper," Next commented suddenly, making his two copies look at him in surprise. "She doesn't know about us."

"Kayen," Near frowned. "She will go after Kayen."

"Mello will know," Nate promised, running a hand through Near's hair. "He will figure it out, he's smart. He'll get to her before she can complete this plan."

Near sighed once more and dropped his head into his hands.

How many times did Mello have to rescue him?

--

"Obi, we need you to take us to Kayen," Mello said suddenly.

Linda frowned and stepped in, "You're not taking my daughter anywhere!"

"Linda, please, we _have _to!" Matt protested. "She's the only one that can help us now!"

"If we don't do this, this whole world will be destroyed," Mello explained. "We have to have her help in order to save no only Nate but _everyone_!"

"She's just a child!" Linda protested.

"Mom," Obi said, tugging on Linda's arm. "I can do this. I can help save dad!"

"Obi…" Linda frowned and sighed, placing her hand on her daughter's head. "Okay, _okay_. But I swear if she even has a scratch on her-"

"Thank you, Linda," Mello told her, not liking how weird those words sounded coming from his lips. He shook his head and turned to Obi. "Okay, Obi- can you find Kayen?"

"Easy as pie, I'll just figure out where the other jumpers are in this world and go to them until we find him," Obi nodded.

"First we need to go to Mihael's and find out if Next has been captured," Matt cut in.

"Good idea," Mello agreed. "Obi, can you get there?"

"Harder, since I don't know exactly where that castle is, but I've been to the town so I'll just blink us there and we'll figure it out," Obi stated with a nod, grabbing hold of Mello and Matt's hands. "Mom," she said suddenly with a warm smile. "Thanks."

"Be careful," Linda whispered nervously.

"We will," Mello promised before closing his eyes and preparing himself for the weird feeling of jumping.

--

They ended up in the city, five or so blocks from the castle. It was a run from there, Matt with Obi on his back.

As they approached the castle they expected to be stopped and have to force their way inside- however the guards looked at them in confusion and stated, "Hello sirs, welcome back." Before he let them inside the front door without protest.

"That was off," Mello stated.

"Well, you are the king," Matt told him.

"Yes, but the king has blue hair and Mail doesn't have a tail," Mello reminded.

Matt shrugged. "New guy?"

Mello looked around. "Now how do we figure out where Mail is-"

"Mello, Matt."

They turned to spot Mail standing there, Mihael next to him, flanked by a group of guards.

"We've been expecting you," Mihael informed, looking completely regal and high-and-mighty. Mello wanted to spit in his face, which technically meant that he wanted to spit in his own face- what a weird thought.

"Next?" Matt asked.

"Gone," Mail confirmed.

"Near?" Mihael questioned.

"Gone, with Nate," Mello responded.

Mihael frowned. "Nate?"

Matt and Mello glanced at each other. "The Next from this world?" Matt offered.

Mihael shook his head. "Next _is _from this world."

Mello and Matt exchanged another glance nervously before Mello coughed and told him, "I think we need to sit down, your highness."

--

Near had finally gotten his powers back in time to hear Mihael freak out when he learned Next wasn't from this reality- he also heard the King state that _that _explained why their connection was so weird- he decided against telling his other self because the last thing a depressed Next needed right now was a reason to help Holand complete her mission.

He stood and approached the bars, getting ready to cast the biggest ice storm he could without injuring Nate and Next, when Holand approached, 'tsk'ing at him as she shook a finger.

"I didn't want to have to do this to you, Near," She told him, holding up a hand and smirking. "But you left me no choice."

As she prepared to cast a dream spell on him, Next suddenly jumped up and rushed forward.

Then, in a flash of magic and light, as Next grabbed onto Near, he and the mirror king disappeared completely.

Nate cursed.

Mirror kings were not supposed to leave their realities, least they fall apart completely.

--

Next landed on top of Near's chest with a thud and Near's back landed on soft carpet, causing him to gasp out in surprise- this was not Holand's cell, they weren't in Holand's cell anymore!

Carpet- _carpet_- and walls not made of ice, not made of stone- made of _drywall_, with _paint _on them- and children, staring at them- dressed in clothes like Near remembered from years ago- children and normal clothes and carpet and paint and drywall and- _oh shit_.

Next had taken them to a _different reality_!

"What the fuck?" A voice said suddenly and Near turned his head to see green eyes and blonde hair staring down at him in shock and confusion.

"_Next_?" Mello asked dumbly.

"Crap," was all Near could say.


	9. Recap for the Ignorant

**Dream of Mirror 2; Corners of reality**

**Ice-Puppet**

**Authors Note**: Aye, so many versions of the same person, I'm getting confused _

**Chapter 9 - **Recap for the Ignorant

"So let me get this straight," Mihael sighed for the fifth time, one hand against his forehead and the other rubbing at his neck where a huge knot had formed from stress. "Next isn't from this world."

"Correct," Mello confirmed, also for the fifth time.

"Near isn't from this world."

"Also correct."

"But this… 'Nate' is."

"You're three for three, again, your highness."

Mihael gave Mello a glare that made Mello shiver. It was weird, having a copy of yourself send you the glare that you were pretty sure could scare off children- it wasn't that scary, now that he saw it from another point of view- especially since this 'other you' looked a bit different but still had the same face, in the end.

After sighing once more, Mihael dropped his head into his hands. "It all makes sense now," he informed. "The people disappearing-"

"Wait, what?" Matt questioned.

"People have been disappearing?" Mello asked.

"The lack of a bond between us," Mihael went on, ignoring the two. "Or at least from my end… I have a question, though." He glanced up and Mello looked toward Matt, who looked back toward his best friend. They expected the King to repeat his questions for a sixth time, but instead the man asked, "Do all of the versions of Next, or Nate, or Near- whatever his real name is- do they all that that speech impairment where they-"

Before he could finish his question, Obi came running over from the window, her eyes wide. "Mello, Mello!" She cried, tugging on his arm. "Come see!"

"What? The adults are talking, here," Mello snapped, trying to pull his arm away.

"The sky is turning black!" Obi told him.

"What!?" Matt jumped up and ran over to the window, gasping. "Holy shit!"

Mello and Mihael followed, Mail trailing after them. Sure enough, the sky was turning a deep black color- despite the fact that it was the middle of the day- one that was unlike the deep blue of nighttime. Instead it was dark and lacked the light of the sun, the moon, or any stars.

"Shit!" Matt cursed. "This is bad!"

"What's it mean?" Mello questioned.

"It means that this reality is about to fall apart," Matt explained.

"What!?" Mihael squeaked.

"Holand must have followed through with her plan," Matt frowned. "There's no hope now…"

Mello grabbed hold of his friend and shook his shoulders roughly. "Snap out of it, you bastard! There has to be something we can do! We can't give up just like that!"

"He's right!" Mail snapped. "We have a jumper with us, we can simply grab hold of the fourth version and take him back to his own reality!"

"I can do it!" Obi agreed.

"You don't understand!" Matt cried. "There's no way to save a reality once its this far!"

"You always give up too easy, Matt!" Mello yelled, before he backhanded his best friend across the face, roughly. "Get a hold of yourself, damnit! Stop panicking! We'll figure something out, okay? Just get a grip!"

Matt sighed, knowing that there was no getting through to these people. "Fine, FINE- but the only person who can save this world now is the Mirror Kings- they need to combined the powers and since Near has all ten, we have to rely on him." He came to a sudden realization and turned to Obi quickly. "Obi!"

"What?" The little girl responded, staring at him in confusion.

"You said you could track down the other jumpers in this reality to find Kayen, right?!" Matt repeated.

"Yeah," Obi answered with a quick nod.

"Well Next is a jumper!" Matt told him.

Mihael and Mail both stared at him. "What?" Mihael questioned.

"That's how he got to our reality, that's how he ended up with Mello and I!" Matt explained. "He jumped! That's how Obi got her powers- Nate is a jumper too, so his daughter is one! Near is one too!"

"You didn't think to TELL me this!?" Mello snapped.

"Sorry?" Matt offered.

"You'll be really sorry after I beat the CRAP out of you!" Mello screamed, jumping to attack the redhead.

"Guys, GUYS!" Obi cried, jumping between them and pushing her arms out as wide as they would reach. "Lets focus in to the matter at hand, please! I can find Next or Near or daddy, so lets get going!"

"Can you jump four people at once?" Mail questioned.

"Yes," Obi answered, nodding. She then motioned for them to grab hands and grabbed hold of Mello and Matt. "Ready?"

Before anyone could answer they were falling and landing heavily on the ground. Mihael managed to keep his ground but the other three fell over rather ungracefully.

Nate looked up from his place across the cell they had landed in, from where he had his face buried in his knees.

"I hate doing that," Mello groaned before he sat up and glanced around. Finally spotting Nate he asked, "Where are Next and Near?"

"I don't know," Nate breathed, standing up. Obi ran over and he pulled her into his arms, lifting her up. After a moment he continued with, "They were in this cell with me. Holand appeared and attempted to attack Near- Next jumped on him and the two of them disappeared."

"You mean they jumped?" Matt questioned.

"Yes," Nate agreed with a nod.

Obi jumped down and disappeared. Nate stared for a moment until she reappeared with a huge frown.

"Bad news!" She cried. "They jumped out of this reality!"

"WHAT!?" Matt cried.

"They were in some sort of weird building with a bunch of children- but I didn't see Next or Near anywhere," Obi continued.

"Orphanage," Mello paled and looked toward Matt.

"We need to follow them," Matt told Obi, who nodded and got ready to jump again.

"I'm coming with you," Nate said.

"No. That would put four of you in one reality," Matt explained. "And that would tear that reality apart. You have to stay here."

Nate nodded in understanding and sat back down. "Be careful, Piper."

"I will, dad," Obi answered.

She grabbed hold of Mello and Matt and was gone in a flash.

--

When Next had appeared in his living room, the new Mello wasn't sure what to think. But when one of the children came in and told him that _he _had just appeared in their play room, he was pretty sure that he had gone insane.

But there he was in all his glory, sitting on his butt looking like he had just gone one of those huge roller coasters a Six Flags.

And there was Matt, sitting next to him, and some little girl he'd never seen before but he felt like he knew.

"Okay, what the _fuck _is going on here?" Mello questioned and the clone of him kind of stared at him in confusion for a few moments before saying,

"Where is Near?"

"Near?" Mello remembered Next going by that name for a while and he frowned. "You mean Next."

"Next, Near, same difference," the clone of Matt said. "Where are they?"

"Tell me what is going on here!" Mello demanded.

"We don't have time, we need to take them back _now_!" His clone protested.

"Mello!" The weird version of Next dressed in weird, Kimono-style clothing yelled as he ran into the room, Matt following him.

"I told you to watch him!" Mello snapped angrily at the redhead.

"I am watching him," Matt answered idly with a shrug. "I'm watching him run into that other you's arms and kiss hi- oh, my."

Mello turned around and noticed the weird version of Next making out with his clone. "What the _fuck_!?"

"That's what I said!" Matt's clone agreed.

"I have to get back, the world is going to fall apart without me," the weird Next said in a hurry, pulling away from Mello's clone and looking at the little girl with wide eyes.

"It already is," Matt's clone told him. "Obi, take him back, now!"

"What about Next?" the kid questioned.

"Come back for him," Matt's clone told her.

"But-" she protested.

"There's no time, Obi!" the redheaded clone snapped. "Take them back now!"

"What about you?" Mello's clone questioned but before Matt's clone could answer the little girl was grabbing hold of him and Near and they were disappearing.

Matt's clone turned around and stared at Mello and Matt with a sheepish smile.

"Well," he greeted, holding out his hand. "Name's Matt, but I'm sure you already know that. I've got a lot of explaining to do, huh?"

--

When they returned to the cell it was empty save for a very amused looking Holand standing on the other side.

"What a trip I'm sure that was," she told them. "Too bad in trying to save this world he ended up destroying it." She lifted her hand and quickly cast a spell. Near dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Near!" Obi cried.

"Shit!" Mello shrieked. "Obi, get us out of here!"

Obi nodded and grabbed hold of them both, disappearing in a flash.

Holand just laughed.

--

They ended up back at the ice palace and Obi fell on her butt, almost passing out from exhaustion.

"Near! Near, wake up! Near!" Mello cried, shaking his albino lover's shoulders but to no avail. "Come on, Near! Wake up!"

"Its no use."

Mello glanced up and spotted Raito watching them from the doorway, looking rather sad.

"She put him under a sleeping spell," Raito told him. "The only way to wake him up is to get a Dream Weaver and save him from his dreams."

"The same way I did last time…" Mello mused, trying to remember how he had gotten into Near's dream. That was right! Kayen had done it! He turned to Obi only to find the little girl unconscious. "Obi!"

"She's probably worn out from all that jumping," Raito explained. "She needs time to rest."

Mello cursed but knew there was nothing more he could do. As much as it pained him to just give up he knew until Obi awoke that they would have to wait- hopefully Holand didn't get to Kayen before they did. Turning, he lifted Near into his arms and Raito did the same to Obi. Raito carried the girl off to Linda's apartment and Mello carried Near into his room.

He laid the albino down on the bed and covered him with the blankets, still pulled back from that morning, when everything had seemed so okay as he awoke. Now things were going to hell- and he didn't know what to do.

--

"His name," Matt's clone pointed to the albino sleeping across the room. "Is Next. But I think you already know that. You've met him before, from what I understand- you knew him several years ago, but one day he disappeared."

"How do you know that?" Mello questioned, looking the clone up and down nervously.

"He re-appeared in a different reality," Matt's clone began to explain, looking tired. "You see, Next is what is known as a jumper. He's able to jump not only from place to place, but from reality to reality. That is why he disappeared- that is how he ended up in the playroom. The little girl you just saw with Near and Mello- the other Mello- is also a jumper. Her name is Piper and she is Near's daughter from a different reality. His daughter with Linda."

"Who is Linda?" Mello asked.

Matt's clone gave him a weird look. "Okay… that's odd." He shook his head. "Let me explain something that is going to sound a little bit off. There are infinite realities that exist currently, different outcomes create new realities. There are also mirrored worlds- worlds that exist exactly as our realities do without even having to think about it. But sometimes things are thrown off kilter. If a mirrored world is thrown off kilter it begins to get damaged and with it, its reflection gets damaged. As you can see," he motioned to the mirror sitting on the desk nearby them. "Next and I have no reflection."

"Weird," Matt said.

"We don't exist in the mirrored reality of this world. Our mirrored selves are back in our own realities, living life normally, probably wondering where their reflections have gone."

"Okay, none of this makes any sense," Mello interrupted, holding up his hands in defeat. "But considering what has happened here, I'm willing to have an open mind about this."

"I would hope so, considering everything that went on with the death note and what not," Matt's clone laughed.

Mello gave him a weird look. "Death Note?"

Matt's clone stopped laughing. "I like this reality more and more with every word you say, Mello."

Mello shook his head. "No one calls me that anymore. Call me M."

Matt's clone smirked. "Okay, M."

"So explain exactly why you are here," M went on, before motioning to Next. "Where has he been this entire time and why are you back here now?"

"Welp," Matt's clone began, sitting back. "It's a long story, but I guess I can do that. It all started when a woman named Holand began attacking this reality that I just came from, the one Next went to after he disappeared from yours. She began destroying this and separating the reality from its mirror. The reality began to fall apart, people and places began disappearing- so the ten mirror kings-"

"Mirror kings?" M asked.

"They're the guys that hold the universe together," Matt's clone explained. "There are ten of them, usually. They each have a specific part in holding the balance in the world. Well, these ten grouped together and decided they needed to fight against Holand, but do so they needed to combined their powers. So they used their abilities and pulled two people into their world- the Mello you just saw and Near, the Next that just left with them. They defeated Holand and Mello gave his powers to Near. Mello left that reality and returned home while Near stayed there because if a mirror king leaves a world, the world crumbles. There's no stopping it, although no one believes me when I say that."

M and Matt looked at each other, both thinking Matt's clone was obviously crazy.

"I know you think I'm nuts, but you asked what was going on, so I'm explaining," Matt's clone snapped, before he continued. "Anyway- two years later Next appears in front of my car and I smack right into him. I take him home and BAM, he's like, well shit, I'm from a different reality and I'm like, no duh dumbass, and he's like, wahhh, take me home, please! So I'm like, okay, okay. So Mel and I go and find Piper, whose a jumper, and she takes us and Next back to his reality. But then I feel guilty because I erased Mel's memories and he doesn't remember that he's got the hots for Near. So we decide to stay and we go to visit Near and Near's like, oh no! I can't get Mello back, I don't want to make Mello sad! And I'm like, you dumb shit! He loves you! And Near's like, Matt, you're so smart! And sexy! And- okay, okay! Don't give me that look! It didn't happen that way! Sheesh. Anyway-"

He took a deep breath and finished off with, "Holand came and kidnapped Next, Near, and Nate, in an attempt to destroy her reality and when she tried to attack Near so Next here brought them to this reality, where I assume he comes from."

"Wow," M said after a few moments of silence stretched after matt's explanation . "I kind of wish I hadn't asked."

Next stirred and opened his eyes, sitting up as he rubbed his eyes rather childishly. He glanced around before paling as he spotted M, Matt, and Matt's clone watching him.

"Shit," he said.

"Shit is right," Matt growled, standing up and advancing on the albino. He grabbed hold of Next's shirt and lifted the boy off the bed, shaking him roughly. "What were you thinking, you idiot!? You've destroyed that reality completely! The only hope we have now is that we can use jumpers to get as many people out as possible!"

"I- was- trying- to- jump- to- someplace- safe- but- I- wasn't- thinking- clearly-" Next tried to get out as his body rocked back and forth, his head moving around like a rag doll. "Matt- please- stop!"

"You're lucky I can't kill you, you bastard, or I would!" Matt screeched before he dropped Next onto the bed. "Now hurry up and take us back before these two catch on and want to come with!"

"What? Next, wait-" Mello started but was too late. A flash of light and Next was gone from his life once again. Just like that.

--

When Next found himself outside of the castle he gasped as he stared up at the sky. It was dark black, no light shining from anywhere around them. Parts of the castle were gone, huge chunks missing out of it, completely vanished as if they had never been built in the first place.

"See?" Matt snapped angrily.

"There has to be some way to stop this!" Next cried.

"There's nothing we can do," Matt told him.

Next shook his head and grabbed hold of Matt, disappearing in another flash of light.

--

Mello glanced up from Near's seemingly peaceful face to look into the colorless eyes of Kayen Reese, who now stood in the doorway, 15 years old and still looking like he could be a child. The teen's hair had grown longer but he still looked like he could be Mello and Near's kid, were that humanly possible. (Or Slyphly, he supposed.)

"How did you-?" Mello asked, surprised to see the albino.

"Next found me," Kayen explained. "And he followed Piper's trail here. I have to say, I'm not exactly happy with what he did, though I can understand it. It seems like it was all in vain, however- how long has he been out?"

"A few hours," Mello explained as Kayen approached, sitting down next to Near on the bed.

"Are you ready to go rescue him again?" Kayen questioned, holding out a hand toward Mello.

"I'm getting kind of sick of it, to be honest," Mello answered before he sighed and nodded.

--

Near glanced up as Mello appeared inside of his dreams- he was sitting amongst the Dream Mirrors, the room illuminated by candles as the world around him slowly disappeared into nothing.

"Mello and I need to stop meeting like this," Near commented idly.

"Agreed," Mello said, holding out a hand.

Near took his hand and stood up, ready to follow the blonde out of his dream world. However he hesitated and stopped, after a few moments.

"What is it?" Mello questioned.

"I can't save the world," Near told him.

Mello frowned. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I can't stop this reality from falling apart," Near told him.

"You can!" Mello protested. "I know you can!"

"I'm not a hero, Mello. I can do what I can do, but in the end this reality will fall apart and we will die."

Mello frowned. "We'll find a way, damnit! You have to have hope, Near! You can't just give up like that!"

Near shook his head only to have it snap to the side as Mello punched him across the face.

Near stared. Mello continued to glare.

"I'm sick of you people giving up so easy!" Mello snapped. "I'm no damn hero either, hell I'm probably more of a fucking bad guy, but I'm not going to just say 'oh, we'll die, eventually' and not even try! _Everyone_ dies, Near! That's a way of life that no one can avoid, no matter what reality you're fucking in! But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to live out our lives to the fullest when we are around! If you give up, damnit, I swear to _god _I will gather up everyone and have Piper take us away from this reality and we can leave it to _crumble_!"

Near paled. He didn't want to leave this reality to crumble, not unless he was going down with it- he felt like this place was his child, something he had to take care of… if it was going to go down, he was going to go down too!

"I need the old mirror kings," he said suddenly.

"What?" Mello asked, wondering why Near had something about a completely different subject.

"To save this reality," Near explained. "I need the old mirror kings."

"Why?" Mello questioned. Once they weren't mirror kings anymore they never could be again, so why did Near need them?

"When you give up a mirror king power part of it stays with you until you die," Near explained. "I need their powers if I'm going to stop this."

"Okay. We'll find them," Mello agree with a nod. It was going to be much easier this time, considering they had jumpers on their side.

Near took his hand once more and the two of them left Near's dreams together once more.


	10. Old friends

**Dream of Mirror 2; Corners of Reality**

**Ice-Puppet**

**Chapter 10 – Old friends **

"Good, Kayen is already here," Near commented after he had awoken. "That means we only need to find nine others."

"Finding the old mirror kings?" Kayen questioned with a weak smile. Near nodded. "I would do the same, were I in your position."

Near attempted to get out of bed only to topple over weakly. Mello helped him back up with a laugh, only to laugh more as the albino attempted to glare at him. "What? You topple over like a domino, it was funny!"

"Mello is cruel," Near muttered, pushing Mello's hands off of him and switching to a floating position. He then turned to Kayen. "Does Kayen know where any of the other mirror kings are?"

"Most of them are where they were before," Kayen informed. "However Q moved in with Red and Kamariya moved to this continent to try and avoid the war."

"Can you remember all those places and jump to them, Near?" Mello questioned.

"I can," Kayen reminded.

Mello glanced toward him. "Oh, yeah."

"That's good," Near hummed, explaining when Mello glanced at him. "Because I don't know how to jump."

Mello stared. "You don't?"

"I didn't even know I could until I'd met Piper," Near explained. "Nate doesn't know how, either."

"Its not something I can teach," Kayen frowned. "Its just something that has to come naturally, like when Next first jumped here."

"You knew about Next coming here?" Mello asked.

"I _did _have the power of night, you know," Kayen sneered.

"Okay, okay! No need to get all snappy," Mello protested as he held up his hands in defense. "Sheesh, you've got a temper, haven't you, kid?"

"In the time that you were gone, people began to disappear," Kayen explained, looking downward. "I lost someone important to me. One moment they were there, the next they were gone."

"Kayen never told me that," Near pointed out, making Mello believe the two albinos had kept in touch. Birds of a feather and all that.

"I don't like talking about it," Kayen informed by way of explanation before he shook his head. "Let's go-"

"Wait!"

Obi rushed in, looking rather worn out.

"I'm coming with you!" She protested.

"Obi-" Near tried in a voice that a father might use on their child. It kind of scared Mello.

"Kayen can't jump twelve other people at once!" Obi cried. "And you don't know how to jump, Near! You're going to need me!"

"She's got a point," Kayen mused, a small smile on his face when Near sent him a glare that couldn't scare a kitten.

"Fine," Near agreed, though it was obvious he didn't like it.

"Lets go," Kayen said again.

They all grabbed hands and were off in a flash.

--

Apparently Kenny was the first on the list because they found themselves outside of a cabin in the middle of a forest. Kayen and Obi stood easily while Mello and Near rubbed their bums, which they had landed on.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Mello commented off-handedly.

Kayen approached the door and went to knock onto to have it fly open and a sharp object on the end of a long poll stuck in his face.

"Oh, its you guys," Kenny commented, removing the spear from a very uncomfortable Kayen's face. "I saw a flash of light and thought maybe the thieves were setting off fire works or something. I went out here to kick their asses!"

"Hello to you too, Kenny," Kayen muttered, rubbing his upper arm.

Kenny stared at him for a few seconds before he threw up his arms and tackled the poor Albino. "Kayen!"

"Eek!" Kayen squeaked, trying to get out of the man's hold.

Kenny then noticed Near and Kayen was forgotten as he threw his arms around Near, lifting the small Slyph off the ground, into his arms. "Near!"

"Hello, Kenny," Near strained, his voice riddled with the personal space he was being deprived of.

"Mello!" Kenny suddenly yelled as he dropped Near and attempted to hug Mello, only to be punched in the face. "Ow! Still a bitchy asshole, I see." Mello snorted in response and Kenny turned to the last member of their little group, who smiled up at him widely. "Um… little girl whom I've never met!" he hugged her anyway, twirling her around quickly before dropping her back onto the ground. "Yay! What brings you all out to my side of the woods?"

"Look at the sky," Kayen explained, pointing upward.

Kenny glanced up and tilted his head. "Well that's weird."

"Near left this reality," Kayen explained.

Kenny paled. "What?"

"It was Next's fault," Mello explained.

"Who is Next? He's got a funny name," Kenny hummed.

"He's Near from a different reality," Obi piped up.

"Near from this reality?" Kenny asked.

"No, that's my daddy," Obi explained. "Next is from a different reality, just like Near is."

"So _that _explains the disappearances!" Kenny whooped, before frowning. "Well, shit. This is no good. So that explains why you're here- you're gathering all the old mirror kings, right? Yeah. I knew it!- I guess that means we'd better get going!"

Kayen nodded and placed a hand on Kenny's shoulder. The rest of the group joined hands and they disappeared.

--

Seishi's house brought back bad memories of flying and Mello shuttered, thinking that, although he hated it, jumping was a much better way to travel.

"Is Seish' home?" Kenny was asking Seishi's husband at the door and the man nodded, disappearing back into the house, calling out the girly man's name. A moment or so later Seishi was in the doorway.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up," he commented, obviously worse for the wear with worry. He grabbed his coat and hopped out of the house. "Lets go."

"Hello to you too," Kenny muttered as he followed Seishi from the house.

--

Fuoco's had been empty, which had been explained easily enough when they visited Glace's.

"Of course we'll help you!" Glace giggled as he pushed his brother forward. "Anything to help a friend! Right big brother?"

"Whatever," Fuoco muttered.

--

LiSen smiled warmly as he answered his door. "I was expecting you. I don't suppose we have time for tea?"

"'Fraid not, Li," Kenny frowned, obviously wanting to take him up on the offer.

"That's too bad," LiSen hummed. "Oh well, perhaps after we save the world, yes?"

"Yeah, we'll take a rain check until then," Kenny agreed before walking back toward the group, LiSen in tow.

"Hello Near," LiSen greeted with a friendly smile, making Mello flush with jealousy. Near returned the smile with a nod. "Mello." The blonde merely turned his face away angrily. "Kayen." Kayen waved. "Fuoco, Glace." Fuoco glared and Glace giggled. "Seishi." Seishi smiled and waved happily.

"Too many people to jump," Kayen told Obi. "You can follow my trail, right?"

"I wouldn't be here if I couldn't," she replied. She took hold of Near and the two of them stood back as the larger group jumped first. They then followed, only a few moments behind.

--

It was a good thing that Quarrel and Red had decided to move in together, because it meant one less person to hunt down.

However it was hard for the group to understand how two very different people could get together.

For example, when they approached the front door they could see through the windows that Red was storming around the house, throwing some sort of hissy fit about something. Quarrel, in contrast, was seated on the sofa looking rather bored as he read a book silently, completely ignoring Red's tantrum.

"Are we sure we want to interrupt them?" Kenny asked. "This is kind of amusing."

"Just do it, please, Kenny," Seishi said in a worried voice.

Kenny nodded and knocked, only to knock harder and finally kick the door as the two occupants couldn't hear him over Red's screaming.

"What do you want!?" Red yelled as he threw the door open, Quarrel looking up from his book with disinterest. "Oh- I was wondering when you guys would show up. God, what were we, last on your list!? I feel important, Kayen!"

"Kamariya is last on my list," Kayen informed.

"Good," Quarrel stated as he stepped out past Red, grabbing his coat.

"Whatever," Red muttered in frustration as he followed Quarrel out toward the group.

"Hello, Near," Quarrel greeted calmly, reminding Mello of what Near used to be like, way back when. "You have come far from the first time we met."

Near wasn't sure what to say, so he didn't say anything.

--

As Kayen had said, Kamariya was last on his list. But, before her, came Arret.

Arret didn't say anything as he answered the door. Just grabbed his jacket and walked outside, standing amongst the smaller group, looking rather blank. Kenny muttered, "Nice to see you too," as he followed Arret away from his front door.

--

Kamariya glanced at Kenny in distaste as she answered the front door before sighing. "This is entirely useless." She closed the door behind herself none-the-less and followed them outside.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ka," Kenny laughed, following behind her.

--

It took two trips, but eventually they got all of the people back to Near's ice castle. Pretty soon the ten kings and Near were gathering around the ten mirrors in a circle, Near standing in the middle of them.

"To be honest," Kamariya was the first to speak after a few moments of silence. "We've never attempted anything like this. In fact, I don't know of any Mirror King that has- especially not a retired one."

"There's a first time for everything," Kenny piped up.

"Lets just try it and see where it gets us," Seishi said with a warm smile.

They all kneeled before their respective mirrors and Near kneeled as well.

"You might want to leave," Near told Mello, who nodded although defiantly and took Obi from the room.

He stood just outside the doorway and watched, however. Obi returned to Linda to let her mother know she was alright.

The ten mirrors began to glow, one at a time. Near looked worse for the wear as the mirrors relied on him for his power, only able to suck a little bit from the previous mirror kings. The previous kings cast the correct spells while the mirrors stole Near's power- they had to be cast in unison and Near couldn't cast ten spells at once, it was impossible. Mello watched in awe as ten lights shot up from the circle, before they all merged into one. The top of the ice castle was destroyed and chunks of ice fell around the eleven people, only to disappear before they hit the ground or any of the people.

Near let out a small cry of pain, but attempted to stifle it and continued to hang on as the magic coursed through him. If he were anyone else, Mello was sure that what they were doing would kill him. One person wasn't meant to have all ten powers, after all.

The glowing light hit the sky and began to suck the blackness into itself. The glow began to turn an inky color before it turned completely black and Near cried out in pain, once more.

This time he didn't stop screaming.

The ten previous kings began to falter a bit as the last of the blackness was sucked into their mirrors. The light died down as Kayen fainted, but the sky was now clear of the shadow that had previously overcome it. The rest of the kings fell backward and Near flopped to the ground, unconscious.

Mello rushed over and pulled the albino into his arms only to see that Near's eyes were open and completely black- not a single spot of white could be seen in their depths.

"What the hell!?" He snapped toward Kamariya.

"He took the chaos into himself," she explained, her voice racked with weakness.

"He did _what_!?" Mello screeched. "I thought that black shit was going into the _mirrors_! You're telling me it was going into _Near_!?"

"Yes," Kenny mumbled weakly.

"Fuck!" Mello shrieked, lifting Near into his arms and carrying the albino from the room without another word to the ten kings. He felt betrayed- why were these bastards (not to mention Near) always keeping things from him!?

He was always out of the loop!

As he approached Near's room he passed Mello, who fell into step behind him upon spotting an unconscious Near in his arms.

"You knew he was going to do this too, didn't you!?" Mello snapped to the redhead s he laid Near down on the large bed.

"No," Matt answered honestly. "I didn't think he could clear the sky of that shit- I thought it was hopeless. Never in a million years did I imagine he would take that shit on himself."

"What is going to happen to him?" Mello asked.

Matt shook his head. "I don't know, Mel. But it can't be good. He pretty much just took the chaos that was destroying this reality into his own body- whatever happens to him, I don't think he's going to survive it."

"Damnit Near, you arrogant bastard!" Mello snapped, grabbing the albino's shoulders and shaking them. "Why are you always doing this!? You have me now to help you out, you idiot! You don't have to do this alone anymore! I can't die either, I could have taken on this shit as well! You- you- dumb-… god, I hate you so much…" he dropped Near and flopped on top of him, burring his face into Near's chest with a defeated sigh. Mello felt tears well up in his eyes but he quickly brushed them away. "For a genius you're not very fucking smart, Near."

"If you were in his place," Matt commented. "You would have done the same thing, Mello."

"Shut the fuck up, Matt."

Matt sighed. "At least he saved this reality?"

"At what cost?" Mello snapped before he sighed and climbed into the bed, curling up next to Near. After a few moments he questioned, "Where is Next?"

"He went back to the castle to see if Mihael was alright," Matt informed. "I haven't heard from him since he brought Kayen here and that was hours ago."

Mello frowned.

--

"Mihael!? Mihael, are you here!? Mihael!" Next was frantic. The castle was falling to ruins and although the sky had cleared of that disgusting darkness, he couldn't find Mihael anywhere! He had been looking for hours and he hadn't found a single person, let alone the person he wanted to find the most.

"-ext?" He heard in the distance. Next rushed into the room the voice had come from, pushing aside some crumbled walls as best he could to find Mail lying beneath of them, his body crushed and broken.

"Mail!" Next cried, his eyes welling with tears.

"'Ext," Mail mumbled, his voice riddled with pain. He winced sharply as he attempted to speak.

"Don't talk!" Next cried. "I'll go find help, I'll go find a healer-"

"'hael," Mail tried, coughing weakly.

"Mihael?" Next stopped the jump he was about to make and looked down at Mail with wide eyes. "What about Mihael? Where is he, Mail!? Do you know!?"

Mail turned his head and nodded off to the side, toward a group of fallen debrees. "'As 'ith m'," he mumbled, wincing once more. "'all 'ell."

Next wasn't listening anymore, rushing over to the pile and attempting to push some of the rubble away. When he wasn't able to do it he finally settled for jumping the pieces of the building away.

That was, until he spotted a prone hand. He then shoved the rest of the smaller pieces off and stared down at Mihael in shock.

He wasn't breathing.

Next gathered the man into his arms and checked his pulse only to find nothing, absolutely nothing.

Mail closed his eyes and listened to Next's cries as he held his dead lover in his arms. They were the last sounds he heard.


	11. Corners of Reality

**Dream of Mirror 2; Corners of Reality  
**

**Ice-Puppet  
**

**Chapter 11; Corners of Reality**

In the few days it took for Near to awaken, things had returned to some-what normal. No-one had heard from Next and both Obi and Kayen refused to track him down, saying he would come back when he needed to (and since he hadn't, Mello was pretty sure something was up. Especially after Matt told him that the castle had been missing huge chunks, the last he'd seen). Kayen had returned all of the tired mirror kings home before disappearing, as well. Obi had retrieved Nate, who had been forgotten in all of the chaos- she'd found him wandering in a forest. Apparently Holand had released him when the world had started to crumble, saying she didn't need him anymore.

Mello was growing more and more worried as time passed. Part of him believed Near would never awaken- and that very same part told him that even if he didn't, he would wait by Near's bed side forever.

"Mel, dude, you really need to eat something or at least get some sleep," Matt said for at least the tenth time, entering the room once more. It was a routine by now- he would walk around the castle aimlessly for an hour or two before returning to try and get Mello to eat or sleep.

"Not until he wakes up," Mello replied as he always did.

"You're going to kill yourself, worrying over him like this. Life has to go on if he doesn't wake up, Mello."

"I can't die, Matt."

Matt sighed, just as he always did, and turned to leave the room once more.

This time, however, he smacked right into Next.

"Next?" Matt questioned. Mello glanced up from Near's prone body, spotting the younger boy standing in the doorway.

Next looked like he'd been through hell. His long hair was amiss and while before it had hung in curls to his waist it now was chopped up around his face, much like Near's was, although a bit longer. He had dirt smeared on his face and scratches over his arms and legs. His clothes were torn and bloody and his eyes were wild.

"Next?" Matt repeated, trying to get some sort of answer out of the albino.

"I killed him," Next whispered. Something w

"You killed who?" Matt asked, putting his hands on Next's shoulders.

"Mihael," Next choked on the word, taking a step back. "I killed Mihael!"

"It wasn't your fault. The castle-" Matt tried only to have Next cut him off as the younger boy grabbed his head in his hands, screaming.

"No! It was my fault! If I hadn't taken Near away from this reality then it wouldn't have happened! It's my fault! I killed Mihael! I killed Mihael and I killed Mail!"

Mello and Matt exchanged worried looks and Mello stood up, approaching nervously. Carefully, he reached out and pulled the small body against his body. Next stiffed for a moment before relaxing and breaking into sobs.

"Its all my fault," Next mumbled once the sobs had died down, collapsing against Mello in exhaustion. "All m' 'ault…" he continued to mutter to himself until he fell asleep, completely worn out. Mello lifted him into his arms and laid him on the bed next to Near.

He jumped when a hand reached out and grabbed hold of his shoulder, grabbing on for dear life.

"Mello?" Near asked in a whisper.

"Near?" Mello's voice was eager, but the excitement quickly died down. Near's eyes were still black and the albino was panicking, his grip shaky.

"I can't-" Near tried, his other hand reaching out blindly. Mello grabbed hold of it and grasped it tightly in his hands. "I can't see Mello…"

"I'm right here," Mello promised. "I wont leave you."

"Hurts," Near whispered. "Everything hurts."

"That's because you're a dumbass!" Mello snapped. "What were you thinking!? Taking on that shit- Near, you're lucky it didn't kill you!"

"Had to," Near whimpered, gripping Mello's hand tighter. "I couldn't lose Mello."

Mello glared at him and Near shifted, sensing it even though he couldn't see it. "You're an idiot," Mello snapped. "You could have at least asked me to help you take on that shit- look at you, you can barely move and you can't see! Your body is dying over and over and you're in constant pain-"

"Mello would be the same if I had let him help me," Near reminded with a wince. "I don't want Mello to be in pain."

"Idiot!" Mello snapped although it didn't hold and bite. He sighed and flopped onto the bed between Near and Next. "Near?"

"Mello?"

"Mihael is dead."

Near frowned. He blindly reached around until he found Mello's face, before he laid his hands on the other's cheeks. "Next is here?"

"Right behind me," Mello answered.

Near shook his head only to wine in pain as he did so. "I can't… I can't feel him."

Mello sat up. "What do you mean?"

"My abilities aren't working," Near informed.

"Its probably that stuff you took in," Matt said suddenly, causing Near to jump as the albino had no idea Matt was in the room as well. "Its messing with your body as well as your mind- its probably causing a block between you and your powers." He sighed and dropped his head into his hands. "You need to rest, Near."

"Can't," Near forced out. "Hurts too much."

"Try?" Mello asked as he lay down next to Near and pulled the other into his arms, stopping a few times as Near winced at every little move. "For me."

"Okay," Near agreed, closing his black eyes and sighing lightly.

--

Next awoke to find Mello next to him, asleep. Near was in Mello's arms and he was awake- his eyes were open, but they were pitch black.

"Near?" Next asked meekly.

"Next?" Near turned his head in Next's direction and Next couldn't tell if he was looking at him or not. "Next is awake?"

"What is wrong with Near's eyes?" Next asked.

"I can't see," Near answered. He sounded exhausted. "Is Next okay? Mello told me about Mihael…"

Next frowned and glanced away, fingering his chopped hair. Instead of answering he said, "I think I should take Holand to another reality."

"What?" Near questioned, frowning.

"She's already destroying this reality," Next explained. "The only way to stop her is to take her to a different one."

"But she will destroy that one, then," Near replied.

"Not if I take her back to her own reality," Next pointed out.

"Can you do that?" Near asked. He had no idea how jumping worked.

Next nodded, before realizing that Near couldn't see it. "Yes."

"If Next thinks it will work then I trust Next," Near sighed before shifting his position only to wince slightly.

Next watched him with a frown. After a few moments he sighed and offered, "I'm really sorry, Near."

"I know Next is," Near replied, not offering him any comfort because, well, he was Near. After a few moments of silence he finally commented, "I don't blame Next for what happened. Next shouldn't blame himself, either. It was a mistake- I'm not sure how jumping works but Next is me and that means Next is smart. Next didn't do it on purpose."

"Thanks Near," Next replied even though the words didn't offer him anything by way of comfort. Still, it was nice to hear Near trying.

"I know Next doesn't want to talk about it," Near went on and Next stiffened. "But I am sorry about Mihael."

But Next was already gone with a flash.

--

Holand looked up as Next appeared in front of her. She had been expecting Near or Mello, but not the long haired one- at least, he had been long-haired, once upon a time. His hair was now cropped short and his face was stained with tears. He looked like he'd been through a war zone.

"What do you want?" She asked. "You already ruined my plan to destroy this reality, what else can you do to me?"

"I can take Holand home," Next replied.

Holand lifted her head once more and stared at Next coldly. After a few moments she realized he was dead serious. "You… mean it?"

"Yes," Next answered. "Not everything has to be solved by violence. Holand could have found a jumper before hand and asked to be taken home- Holand didn't have to try and destroy this world."

--

"Is there anything we can do, Matt?"

Matt sighed again, about to bang his head on the wall behind him. Mello kept asking, over and over, if there was any way to save Near.

"I told you, Mel," he repeated. "The only way we could even hope to get that shit out of him is to take him out of this universe, and we can't do that or it will just fall apart again."

"What if I take his powers?" Mello asked.

"You can't. You were already a mirror king."

Mello groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "Isn't there _anything else _we can do!?"

"I'll do it."

Both the blonde and the redhead glanced up as Next walked into the room, looking like a holy beacon in a dark tunnel.

"I'll take on the mirror king powers," he said.

"What?" Mello asked.

"Then Mello can get Near out of here," Next went on, ignoring Mello. "And Near will be safe."

"Next, that isn't a good idea-" Matt tried.

"I have no other reason to stay here," Next explained, depression washing over his features as he dropped his eyes. "Mihael is gone, meaning I am now king… but I want to run away so badly. If I take Near's powers I won't have a choice, I will have to stay here."

Matt and Mello glanced toward each other. After a few moments it was Matt that finally spoke. "We'll ask Near what he thinks."

--

"No."

Next looked almost desperate. "Near, please-"

"No," Near answered a second time.

"Near, this stuff is killing you," Matt explained. "We need to ease it, at least a little bit- if you give away your powers-"

"Then Next will go crazy too," Near informed. "Then Next will be dying too. I can't do that to Next."

"Near, please," Next begged a second time. "I need this- I need a reason to stay here. I… I can't do it without Near's help."

"Then leave," Near told him.

Next took a step back. "What?"

"Let someone else take over as king," Near continued, his black eyes staring blankly, as if staring through Next. "Leave this world, go back home. I won't give Next my powers, so Next has no reason to stay here."

"But-" Next started.

"I'll do it," Mello said suddenly. The group turned to look at him (save for Near, of course). "I'll take over as King," he explained.

"Mello?" Near asked, his voice tinted with surprise.

"Dye my bangs blue, whatever," Mello went on. "I'll pretend I'm Mihael, if I have to. If Near's staying in this reality, then I am too. I might as well help out while I'm here. I'm tired of just sitting here, saving your ass over and over- its time I do something productive."

"Is Mello sure?" Near asked, attempting to sit up. Matt helped him, leaning Near's body against his own so the albino could stay up-right. "This is a lot of responsibility."

"You saying I can't handle it?" Mello huffed.

Near smiled slightly. "No, I'm not saying that. I'm just… worried that it might be overwhelming for Mello."

"Excuse me," Next cut in. "But isn't anyone going to ask what I think about this?"

"What do you think about this, Next?" Matt asked.

"I hate the idea," Next explained. "Near has been stuck in this reality for years. I think he should be able to go home."

"I don't want to give Next my powers," Near explained.

"The only way to get rid of that stuff inside of you is for you to leave this reality," Matt informed. "So if you stay here, Near, you're going to blind and sickly for the rest of your life- which will be forever, by the way. Next is right, as much as I hate to admit it."

"But-" Near attempted.

"Near," Mello addressed, catching his love's attention. "Next is right. You have to admit it."

Near dropped his head. "I don't want Next to suffer with what I have gone through."

"I'm already suffering," Next mumbled. "What's a bit more? Besides- if I start going crazy, maybe Mihael will appear before me."

"It's not the same," Near muttered.

"Please agree, Near," Mello begged. "Then we can go home- then we can get you well again. Get that shit out of your body. You _need _this."

Near sighed, shaking his head for a few moments. He then dropped his shoulders and said, "Fine."

"Really?" Matt asked, surprised. "I expected more of a fight from you."

"I'm not well enough to put up a fight," Near muttered.

--

"This is going to hurt," Near informed. "A lot. In fact, Next is going to pass out and probably not wake up for a week. I will be gone by then. Raito will be here to take care of you."

"I will too," Matt said suddenly.

Mello stared at him. "What?"

"I'm staying," Matt informed, putting his hand on Mello's shoulder.

"Why?" Mello questioned, eyes wide.

Matt laughed. "I have my reasons and you would think they're stupid, so I won't bother telling them to you. But I'll be in touch- I know a few jumpers so I'll come to visit you two, okay?"

"Matt, I don't like this-" Mello started protesting.

"If I have to give in to something I don't like," Near cut in. "Then Mello does as well."

"Shut up, you!" Mello snapped, crossing his arms.

"Is Next ready?" Near questioned.

"Yeah," Next answered with a nod, although Near couldn't see it.

Near started to glow, the ten mirrors in front of him doing the same. One by one they all shot a bright light out, hitting Next's body. Next cried a little bit more with every light that entered him- by the third one he had passed out, but Near didn't stop. Finally, when the ten lights were done, Near flopped to the ground, worn out.

"You okay?" Mello questioned as he helped Near to stand.

"No," Near replied, honestly.

Matt scooped Next into his arms and stared down at the albino boy sadly, in an almost loving manor.

Mello scoffed. "Oh. _Oh_. I get it, now."

"Shut up, Mello!" Matt snapped, his cheeks tinted red. "I told you, you would think it was stupid…"

"I don't," Mello promised him. "A little fast and somewhat confusing, yeah, but- hey, you love who you love and you can't help it."

Matt sighed lightly and followed Mello and Near from the room.

--

"Ready to go home?" Kayen asked, smiling lightly.

"Not really," Near answered.

"Good. See you around!" Kayen chirped. He then opened up a portal and Mello stepped through- this time with his arm around Near's waist so he couldn't be left behind, once more.

--

It took Near almost a month to be able to see again, but once he could he threw his arms around Mello and held onto the blonde tightly. It was weird for him, going back to the old life style- not being able to float or use any of his abilities.

Mello went back to being L, but it wasn't the same without Matt around. Linda ended up taking over Matt's job as Watari and she was good at it, but it still wasn't the same.

Once Near was well, however, he took over Watari's job and Linda went back to her life with her daughter, bidding them both farewell with a warm smile.

It was in the middle of a murder case that it happened-

Matt appeared in the living room suddenly with Obi, both of them landing on Near's toy castle.

"Woo-hoo!" the redhead cheered happily. "I haven't got ears anymore!"

"Matt?" Near questioned.

"Hey, you!" Matt greeted. "How are you doing? You can see me! I'm so glad- how are things holding up without me around?"

"Shut up, Matt," Mello called from the next room. "I'm trying to work." There was a pause before he appeared in the doorway, eyes wide. "Matt?!"

"Hey, Mel!" Matt grinned. "I told you I'd come for a visit!"

Mello threw his arms around his best friend and they started bombarding each other with questions, laughing like old times.

Obi sat down next to Near and began building up another castle, noticing how Near's looked a bit like the old castle he used to live in.

Things were back to normal. Or at least, as normal as they could be, considering everything.

**The end**

Yes, I hate the ending. : But I wanted to end it because I lost all motivation for this story. So here you have it. A happy ending too! Woohoo.


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